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As a crucial staple for millions, climate-resilient wheat genotypes are vital for safeguarding livelihoods and ensuring food security. The study encompassed 80 genotypes and was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of various stress indices to determine their effectiveness in predicting wheat genotypes performance under diverse environmental conditions. Based on strong positive correlation of indices with grain yield per plot along with insights from principal component analysis, our findings showed that the Stress Tolerance Index (STI), Mean Productivity (MP), Geometric Mean Productivity (GMP), Harmonic Mean (HM), and Yield Index (YI) are the most reliable indicators of yield performance under drought, heat, and combined stress conditions. This confirms their effectiveness in selecting resilient genotypes. Additionally, while these indices are robust in predicting performance, it is important to consider their trade-offs with yield stability under stress conditions to ensure a balanced approach in genotype selection. A negative correlation between yield stability index (YSI) and grain yield in favorable conditions suggests that genotypes with high yield stability prioritize consistency over maximum yield potential. The genotypes C-306, HD-2888, GW-477, RW-5, WH-1142, PBW-773 and HD-30 are identified as the best performers under these environmental conditions. The findings highlight the consistent and significant relevance of stress tolerance, stress susceptibility indices, reduction and relative stress index in both PC1 and PC2 explaining the majority of variance within all stress contexts. These revelations offer valuable insights for devising crop enhancement strategies aimed at elevating yield and productivity under diverse stress conditions. Moreover, this knowledge can guide the selection of parental lines for crafting new cultivars with heightened stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tillage as one of the agricultural practices consumes the largest amount of energy, which reflects on the total production cost. The artificial neural network (ANN) technique was utilized in the current study to opti-mize the performance of the tillage process. The ANN-modeled multilayer perceptron network with a backpropagation learning algorithm and momen-tum term was used by the PYTHON program. The ANN inputs were: the implement type, soil texture, moisture, bulk density, width, speed, and depth. The draught was the output (kN). Five layers composed the ANN model's optimal configuration (13-64-16-4-1). The linear and rectified linear units (ReLU) functions were utilized with hidden layers and the output layer, re-spectively. Momentum term and learning rate were 0.00003 and 0.9 respec-tively. The iteration number was 1000 epochs and stopped at 290 epochs. The coefficient of determination in the test datasets was high (0.92) while the difference between actual and predicted output was low (2.08). Bulk den-sity and depth were the main determinants of the draft. The evaluation of the developed model for chisel, moldboard, and disk plow gave satisfactory re-sults of 0.985, 0.924, and 0.917. In comparison to the ANNs, the regression model's correlation coefficient for predicting draught force was the lowest (0.373).

• Using FEM to select cone index or shear strength as the best predictor of mouldboard draught. • A statistical model was developed to predict the draught of a mouldboard plough. • The model is a function of soil strength, tillage depth and speed. • Model validation indicated that it could be helpful to predict the draught force. Prediction models for draught of tillage implements using soil variables which can be readily measured in the field are important tools in agricultural machinery management. In our previous study, a regression model for draught of a cylindrical mouldboard plough as a function of soil water content, bulk density, ploughing depth and speed was developed using a finite element (FEM) model. This study aims to investigate whether the soil physical properties could be replaced by soil strength variables including cone index (CI) or shear strength (SS) measured by cone penetrometer and shear vane, respectively. Cone penetration and shear vane tests were simulated using FEM in the soils for which the mouldboard plough draught was obtained from the mouldboard plough-soil interaction model. A 0.3 m ploughing layer was simulated either homogeneous or non-homogeneous. CI and SS, averaged over the ploughing layer, were used as soil strength variables. The best model for mouldboard draught was obtained as a function of SS, ploughing depth and speed with R2 = 0.87 and RMSE = 0.79 kN. Validation of the model with a set of experimental data reported in the literature showed that the predicted draught force lies within bounds of ± 18 % of the measured values with R2 of 0.84. The draught model could be employed with a shear vane or a combined vane-cone instrument to predict the mouldboard plough draught. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The draught requirement of a single-furrow animal-drawn mouldboard plough implement was determined on sandy loam soils from June to July 2021 at Modibbo Adama University, Yola. The effect of speeds (0.65, 0.83, and 1.05 ms-1) and depths (8, 13, and 18 cm) upon the draught was investigated. Soil analysis, animal specification, and results of tillage experiments are reported. A pair of oxen weighing 538 kg was used as a power source. A 1 x 3 x 3 factorial experimental design was arranged in a Randomized Complete Design (RCD) for the study on a test plot of 50 m long x 25 m wide and replicated three times. The highest mean draught values of 458.43 N and the lowest mean draught values of 456.03 N were obtained at a speed and depth combination of 1.05 ms-1 and 0.183 m and 0.65 ms-1 and 0.083 m, respectively, with a unit draught of 11.07kpa. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) between speed and depth had a significant effect at a 1 % level of probability (P≤0.01) on draught requirement. Linear regression equations showed an increase in draught with an increase in tillage depth and speed. The high coefficient of determination r2 values show that the plough is operated more economically at a mean speed of 0.83 m/s and a depth of 0.135 m. These regression equations can predict draught during the design of animal-drawn tillage implementation. Substantial energy savings can be obtained with proper animal-tillage implements combination.

The importance of evaluating the energy requirements of soil preparation operations is a concern of researchers specializing in agricultural equipment. To answer such a question, they have proposed several mathematical models for the evaluation of tensile strength. However, given the large number of parameters introduced in these models, the selection of one of these models under specific agro-pedological conditions often poses an issue. Knowing the difficulties of selecting a mathematical model from those proposed in literature, the work presented allows a judicious choice of the model to be used, taking into account the precise working conditions. The work employs the MERISE method (it is a method of analysis, design and management of IT projects) to realize this work. For these purposes, a computer program was designed to quickly determine the tractive effort from a system of information on predefined equipment and working conditions. This program is called DERT (Fr: Détermination de l‘Effort de Résistance à la Traction; En: Determination of Traction Resistance Effort) and grants the possibility to convert the traction effort into energy using the most appropriate mathematical model. This computer tool enables the establishment of a database on the tractive effort and energy requirements of mechanized agricultural work. Eighteen farms permitted testing the DERT program to evaluate the efforts using the appropriate models. A generalization of its use at the level of different farms will allow the creation of a national map of energy needs and thus the optimization of agricultural equipment and energy consumption.

Tillage as one of the agricultural practices consumes the largest amount of energy, which reflects on the total production cost. The artificial neural network (ANN) technique was utilized in the current study to optimize the performance of the tillage process. The ANN-modeled multilayer perceptron network with a backpropagation learning algorithm and momentum term was used by the PYTHON program. The ANN inputs were: the implement type, soil texture, moisture, bulk density, width, speed, and depth. The draught was the output (kN). Five layers composed the ANN model's optimal configuration (13-64-16-4-1). The linear and rectified linear units (ReLU) functions were utilized with hidden layers and the output layer, respectively. Momentum term and learning rate were 0.00003 and 0.9 respectively. The iteration number was 1000 epochs and stopped at 290 epochs. The coefficient of determination in the test datasets was high (0.92) while the difference between actual and predicted output was low (2.08). Bulk density and depth were the main determinants of the draft. The evaluation of the developed model for chisel, moldboard, and disk plow gave satisfactory results of 0.985, 0.924, and 0.917. In comparison to the ANNs, the regression model's correlation coefficient for predicting draught force was the lowest (0.373). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The given analysis is committed towards the improvement of the design of the precision seeding drill coulter, especially regarding the main working element - the point. The quality of the furrow and seed bed formation directly depends on the coulter point. In the vertical plane, the coulter point has a combined wedge working surface with an acute and obtuse soil entry angle, and in the horizontal plane, it is arrow-headed at an angle less than the angle of friction of the soil on the steel. There are theoretically determined, values of the main design and technological characteristics of the improved point. As the result of laboratory research of a coulter improved design, it was defined that at the values of an angle of an entry into the soil of the upper part of the coulter within, the lower part of the coulter within, the camber of the point in the horizontal plane, a decrease in the draught of the coulter is achieved on average by 16%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this work is on developing a nonlinear grey model for the laminar flow regime of carrier fluid across the flat plate collector. The trust region reflective algorithm was used to solve the nonlinear laminar flow problem and handle the sparse matrix. The stream function, dimensionless velocity, gradients of velocity components, carrier fluid temperature, and the absorber plate temperature were estimated for a flat plate collector operated with and without a circular chimney. Similarly, the same technique was adopted to determine a model for heat transfer across the absorber plate. The numerically obtained solution was also compared with the parameters obtained through the instrumental measurement. The relative tolerance was kept at 10−5 for the white and grey box solutions. The developed model was noticed to have a smaller deviation than the conventional analytical model to predict the experimental values. The slip condition was observed for the proposed scheme. The uncertainty in the temperature measurement through the proposed model varies from ±0.53 to ±1.47 K. The minimum absolute percentage error (MAPE) lies in the domain of 0.52–1.67% for the nonlinear grey model, whereas the linear grey model for measuring absorber plate temperature has a percentage error of 0.0011–0.02%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of COVID-19, many office buildings around the world have downsized their employees, but the comfort parameters in the building had to be kept. The facilities operation rearranged the workstations to keep physical distance and placed plexiglass sheets on the desks for physical protection. A series of measurements have been carried out with workstation set-ups to examine the fresh air rate in the occupied zone. The effect of plexiglass sheets placed on the desks was also examined to see how it changes the airflow pattern in the occupied zone. As the sheets act as a barrier, the primary air does not reach the occupied zone, therefore, the fresh air rate is less. To modify the properties of the ceiling diffusers a new air-ventilation service element was developed. This attachment allows modifying the properties of the ceiling diffusers. Simulations were made at the relevant zones to validate the measurements. Based on design software, the fresh air ratio for a standard ceiling swirl diffuser is 2.46 v% (volume percentage). A numerical model was used to show the fresh air ratio with the system elements for the two different table arrangements, which were 18.3 v% and 21.4 v%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the variation trend of NDVI, SPEI and the response of vegetation productivity to drought events at different spatial–temporal scales were evaluated by correlation analysis. The results show that the annual change trend of vegetation coverage is obviously mainly distributed in the dense area of the river network, which indicates that the river network is dense and abundant in water, which is beneficial to promote vegetation growth. The vegetation coverage NDVI is related to the drought index SPEI for the same month, and the corresponding month has a strong correlation with the spatial distribution of river networks. The corresponding month appears in autumn in the coastal area, in summer in the middle region, and in spring in the western region. Elevation, distance from coast, and density of river network will affect the response of vegetation productivity to drought events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human resources are the most important elements of economic units; thus, the efficiency of human work is of crucial importance. Work efficiency can be achieved only in an environment offering optimal thermal comfort. The present study makes use of human subject experiments in order to investigate the joint effect of draughts and warm ceilings on work performance. During the experiments, 10 thermal environments with 5 radiant thermal asymmetries and 2 draught rates were investigated. The most important outcome of the research is the presentation of the combined effect of a draught and a warm ceiling on work performance.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of draught on upper respiratory tract mucosal immunity, by assessing concentrations of lysozyme and secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) in nasal lavage fluid. A total of 26 subjects were recruited and experienced 4 experiment conditions combined with two ambient temperatures (24 °C and 28 °C) and two air velocities towards the nape (0 m/s and 1 m/s). Physiological parameters, and subjective questionnaires (i.e., thermal sensation vote (TSV), thermal comfort vote (TCV), and air movement vote (AMV)) were also collected. Our findings revealed that physiological parameters fluctuated significantly under 24 °C, 1 m/s (p < 0.05). Significant decreases in lysozyme concentration occurred under both 24 °C, 1 m/s (p = 0.003) and 24 °C, 0 m/s (p = 0.017). S-IgA concentrations significantly decreased after one-day lag (p = 0.028) under 24 °C, 1 m/s. When TSV deviated from neutral, lysozyme concentrations decreased, especially when the TSV was [-3, −1.5) (p = 0.01). The S-IgA concentration increased when subjects felt slightly uncomfortable and decreased steadily for further discomfort. The proportion of subjects with decreased immune biomarker levels was minimized in the neutral TSV zone. The findings suggest that under the investigated scenarios, cold draught can suppress respiratory immunity by altering thermal sensations, with effects potentially persisting beyond exposure duration. Ensuring a neutral and comfortable thermal environment is pivotal for maintaining immunity stability. However, more experiments under a wider range of thermal parameters need to be performed to prove the robustness of current results. • Lysozyme level decreased when the result of thermal sensation votes deviated from neutral zone. • S-IgA level fluctuates when the result of thermal comfort votes deviated from comfortable zone. • The proportion of subjects whose immune level decreased was least with neutral thermal sensation. • The effect of cold draught on respiratory immunity may last for more than one day. • Respiratory immunity remains stable in neutral and comfortable thermo-environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this work is on developing a nonlinear grey model for the laminar flow regime of carrier fluid across the flat plate collector. The trust region reflective algorithm was used to solve the nonlinear laminar flow problem and handle the sparse matrix. The stream function, dimensionless velocity, gradients of velocity components, carrier fluid temperature, and the absorber plate temperature were estimated for a flat plate collector operated with and without a circular chimney. Similarly, the same technique was adopted to determine a model for heat transfer across the absorber plate. The numerically obtained solution was also compared with the parameters obtained through the instrumental measurement. The relative tolerance was kept at 10−5 for the white and grey box solutions. The developed model was noticed to have a smaller deviation than the conventional analytical model to predict the experimental values. The slip condition was observed for the proposed scheme. The uncertainty in the temperature measurement through the proposed model varies from ±0.53 to ±1.47 K. The minimum absolute percentage error (MAPE) lies in the domain of 0.52–1.67% for the nonlinear grey model, whereas the linear grey model for measuring absorber plate temperature has a percentage error of 0.0011–0.02%.

Improve understanding of the links between biological variables (sex, body size and anatomical position) and adaptive remodelling of autopodia, and the identification of traction use in the archaeological record. A modified version of the recording system for identifying draught cattle in the archaeological record (Bartosiewicz et al., 1997) was applied to a sample of 1509 bones from six sites from medieval England. Analysis focused on identifying correlations between pathological and sub-pathological changes in lower-limb bones in relation to anatomy, sex and body mass. A correlation between sex, body mass and lower limb bone changes was demonstrated. The need to consider anterior and posterior limb bone elements separately to maximise the potential for identifying cattle used for traction was identified. Changes in hindlimb elements were highlighted as the most useful indicator of draught use. This study provides new, detailed evidence for a previously poorly understood correlation between the effects of anatomical position, sex and body size and the nature of skeletal changes traditionally associated with draught cattle. It pulls together findings and makes comprehensive suggestions for future studies. This is a purely methodological paper. Although general results are presented, there is insufficient space to include a full case study. This will be published separately within the results of the FeedSax project. Future studies into the use of cattle for draught purposes in the past should take in to account the sex and size of the animals under consideration, and analyse anterior and posterior elements separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of COVID-19, many office buildings around the world have downsized their employees, but the comfort parameters in the building had to be kept. The facilities operation rearranged the workstations to keep physical distance and placed plexiglass sheets on the desks for physical protection. A series of measurements have been carried out with workstation set-ups to examine the fresh air rate in the occupied zone. The effect of plexiglass sheets placed on the desks was also examined to see how it changes the airflow pattern in the occupied zone. As the sheets act as a barrier, the primary air does not reach the occupied zone, therefore, the fresh air rate is less. To modify the properties of the ceiling diffusers a new air-ventilation service element was developed. This attachment allows modifying the properties of the ceiling diffusers. Simulations were made at the relevant zones to validate the measurements. Based on design software, the fresh air ratio for a standard ceiling swirl diffuser is 2.46 v% (volume percentage). A numerical model was used to show the fresh air ratio with the system elements for the two different table arrangements, which were 18.3 v% and 21.4 v%, respectively.

Pollutants from combustion in wood‐burning stoves are influenced by many factors, including the exhaust gas system. This is responsible for the air supply due to the draught generated. Contrary to results reported in literature the experiments in this study show no effect on temperature related to increasing air supply and a total dust decreasing at higher draughts. The results also show no significant impact of the draught on gaseous emissions (CO/OGC/NOx). The most significant loss was determined at thermal efficiency, which lost up to 13 % absolute with increasing draught. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tillage is one of the most important operations in the preparation of land for growing crops. Among secondary tillage implements, power harrows, which have a series of PTO-driven rotors which rotate about their vertical axis, are widely adopted in soil-working operations. Typically, this kind of implement is highly energy consuming, due to the heavy mechanical loads required to pull the harrow and the PTO (Power Take-Off) torque needed to drive the rotors. This paper reports the results of extensive in-field experimentation in which the relationship between the operating conditions of a tractor - power harrow system and the mechanical loads (i.e. PTO torque and draught) were investigated in two different test site fields. The test parameters consisted of: nominal tractor speed (3, 6, 9 and 12 km h−1), nominal working depth (6, 9 and 15 cm) and rotor speed (285 and 411 rpm) at a PTO speed of 1000 rpm. The data was statistically analysed by means of a linear mixed effect model to assess the differences in the tractor - harrow system performances measured under different working conditions. The presented results show which operating conditions can be favourable regarding energy and fuel consumption as this information may be very useful to farmers to reduce costs. Moreover, the measured mechanical loads concerning PTO torque and draught may also be beneficial for manufacturers to improve the design of these kinds of implements. Image 1 • Mechanical loads and fuel consumption values for tilling operations are reported. • The average PTO torque values were in the range of 80–620 Nm. • The average draught values were in the range of 4–13 kN. • Power and energy values per unit of volume and surface of tilled soil are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of active and passive tillage tools has been acknowledged as an effective way of dealing with the soil compaction, due to reduced field trips required for preparing seedbed compared to conventional practices. A comparative analysis was carried out between an active-passive configuration of combined offset disc harrow (CODH) and conventional passively-driven mode of offset disc harrow (ODH) in sandy clay loam soil to achieve maximum tillage quality with a minimum expenditure of power. The test parameters consisted of: forward speeds (3.46, 4.55, and 6.82 km h−1), rotational speeds of front gang axle (95, 133, and 150 rpm), and working depths (80, 120, and 145 mm). Better penetration ability and uniformity in tilling depth was observed with CODH compared to passively-driven ODH. The soil pulverizing ability, stubble cutting, and crop residue burial efficiency (CRBE) was observed to be better with CODH compared to passively-driven ODH. The CODH exhibited best tillage performance index at rotational speed of 133 rpm, at which draught requirement and the corresponding driving wheel slip were witnessed to be reduced by 50.73–55.01% and 68.70–79.55%, respectively as compared to free rolling ODH, whereas, fuel consumption per tilled area and specific energy were increased by 0.06–25.53% and 4.07–37.11%, respectively. Furthermore, the soil cone index (CI) and clod size were reduced by 14.29–46.90% and 14.88–43.73%, respectively and the CRBE was increased by 11.36–100%. The results indicate that the active-passive CODH outperformed the conventional passively-driven ODH with respect to both energy consumption and quality of soil tilth. • A comparative evaluation between CODH and passively-driven ODH was performed. • CODH outperform ODH in terms of energy consumption and tillage quality parameters. • Better penetration ability and uniformity in tilling depth with CODH. • Higher pulverisation, stubble cutting, and residue burial efficiency with CODH. • CODH exhibited best tillage performance index at rotational speed of 133 rpm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of velocity ratio (ratio of peripheral velocity to the forward velocity of tillage tool) on the performance of an active-passive combined offset disc harrow. This implement unites the benefits of powered discs and combination tillage to reduce draft requirements, wheel slip, and gross fuel consumption. The test parameters consisted of forward velocities (3.46, 4.55, and 6.82 km h−1) and rotational velocities of front gang axle, N FGA (95, 133, and 150 rpm) to ultimately vary the velocity ratio from 1.48 to 4.59. Tests were conducted in freshly harvested paddy fields with sandy clay loam soil having moisture content and cone index of 11 ± 0.75% (dry basis) and 975 ± 50 kPa, respectively. The results indicate that increase in velocity ratio from 1.48 to 3.49 helped to reduce both draught and torque requirement with negligible reduction observed when velocity ratio was increased beyond 3.49. At a velocity ratio of 2.91, the specific energy consumption was minimum. Attempts were made to select a suitable velocity ratio based on tillage performance index considering both fuel energy input and tillage effectiveness parameters such as crop residue burial efficiency and soil pulverization. It is suggested to operate this type of implement at velocity ratio of 3.09 (forward velocity 4.55 km h−1, N FGA 133 rpm) and 4.06 (forward velocity 3.46 km h−1, N FGA 133 rpm) during the first pass and the second pass, respectively to obtain maximum tillage performance with minimum energy consumption. • Velocity ratio influenced energy requirement and tillage effectiveness parameters. • An increase in velocity ratio helped to reduce the draft and torque requirement. • Specific energy requirement was found to be minimum at velocity ratio of 2.91. • Both soil inversion and pulverization increased with increase in velocity ratio. • Optimum velocity ratio exists for an active-passive combination tillage implement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the case of public buildings with ceiling heating and mechanical ventilation, radiant temperature asymmetry caused by the warm ceiling and draught occur simultaneously. The currently available literature does not offer an exhaustive description of the comfort conditions resulting from such a thermal environment. This research focuses on complementing the available knowledge, using instrumental measurements, as well as subject measurements carried out on 20 individuals. Relying on these measurements, the purpose of the research is to support the understanding of the combined mechanisms of action of the two local discomfort parameters. The main result of this research is that, if the predicted percentage dissatified is less than 6%, the radiant temperature asymmetry is in an interval of 5–15 °C, and the draught rate is 15% or 25%, the actual mean vote and the predicted mean vote values differ significantly, and the actual mean vote is always lower, with a few exceptions. In addition, the research highlights the changes of the actual mean vote caused by raising the draught rate from 15% to 25%, in the presence of radiant temperature asymmetry caused by warm ceilings.

Across medieval Europe, cattle commanded a major, if shifting, economic and social value, and their use for meat, milk, and traction is well established. Although the changing roles of cattle throughout this period may have influenced relationships between humans and cattle, this has been largely neglected in historical and zooarchaeological studies. Data from nearly 700 archaeological assemblages of animal remains have been used to provide an overview of the herd structures (age and sex) of cattle populations for England between AD 450 and 1400. These have been analysed alongside pathological and sub-pathological changes in over 2800 lower limb bones of cattle from seventeen archaeological sites to provide a better understanding of the use of cattle for ploughing, hauling, and carting. The findings were considered alongside historical documents and ethnographic evidence to chart changing human–cattle relationships. Results indicate that human–cattle relations varied with changing economic, agricultural, and social practices. From the mid-fifth century, cattle were a form of portable wealth, however, by the mid-ninth century, they were perceived as a commodity with monetary value. From this period, close human–cattle bonds are likely to have been widespread between plough hands and working animals. Such bonds are may have diminished with the increasing number of young beef cattle kept to supply the urban population from the mid-eleventh century.

Among the many consequences of Iran’s suffering from water shortage in recent decades, the major river of Isfahan city, Zayandeh Rud, has dried out. While experts observe this issue through environmental discourses and local farmers engage in political protests, citizens phrase the loss of the river as a cultural catastrophe. Within the environmental configuration that includes the river, historical buildings, parks, fauna, flora and humans, habitual relationships produce a sense of security and well-being. Since the drought, this configuration has been seriously affected. We suggest the drought is experienced as sociocultural disaster because Zayandeh Rud is a central element for the creation of social, cultural, economic and political relationships. Following the suggestion of Tim Ingold, we conceptualise the environment as the interplay between the German notion of Umwelt (out world) and Innenwelt (subjective world). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Local thermal comfort and draught rate has been studied widely. There has been more meaningful research performed in controlled boundary condition situations than in actual work environments involving occupants. Thermal comfort conditions in office buildings in Estonia have been barely investigated in the past. In this paper, the results of thermal comfort and draught rate assessment in five office buildings in Tallinn are presented and discussed. Studied office landscapes vary in heating, ventilation and cooling system parameters, room units, and elements. All sample buildings were less than six years old, equipped with dedicated outdoor air ventilation system and room conditioning units. The on-site measurements consisted of thermal comfort and draught rate assessment with indoor climate questionnaire. The purpose of the survey is to assess the correspondence between heating, ventilation and cooling system design, and the actual situation. Results show, whether and in what extent the standard-based criteria for thermal comfort is suitable for actual usage of the occupants. Preferring one room conditioning unit type or system may not guarantee better thermal environment without draught. Although some heating, ventilation and cooling systems observed in this study should create the prerequisites for ensuring more comfort, results show that this is not the case for all buildings in this study.

Highlights • Influence of temperature fluctuations was examined in a human subjective experiment. • Generated airflows had distinct cooling effect on subjects. • Study indicates that sensation of draught was influenced by airflow temperature fluctuations. Abstract Besides air velocity, turbulence intensity and air temperature there are also other factors, which influence human thermal response to air movement. In this study, the impact of temperature fluctuations in airflow on human thermal sensation and perception of draught was examined. For the purposes of the study an air supply unit was designed for generating airflows with temperature fluctuations and used in a subjective experiment. The experimental study indicates that temperature fluctuations possibly influence the human perception of air movement with a distinct cooling effect. At high values of frequency and amplitude fluctuations a large discrepancy was found between predicted and measured values of draught discomfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Low temperature radiant heating systems are widely used in buildings being advantageous both from energy use and thermal comfort point of views. However, attention should be paid to asymmetric radiation especially in the case of wall heating. The aim of our research was to analyse the perception of thermal asymmetry in combination with different air velocities. A series of measurements were carried out in controlled environment involving 20 subjects (10 female, 10 male). It was shown that the thermal asymmetry is perceived at low air velocities, but increasing the air velocity to 0.1 m/s, 0.15 m/s or 0.2 m/s the perception of air movement overwrite the perception of thermal asymmetry. The heat removed by convection by the same air flow and air jet velocity was different for women and men group. The higher decrease of the skin temperature in case of women (around 2 K) leads to thermal sensation votes under −0.5 (even though the air and mean radiant temperature were 24 °C). The responses of women and men group regarding draught perception were different as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overtaking maneuver of two Esso Bernicia 1.9×105 DWT tankers was investigated using the system-based maneuvering method. The Brix model was incorporated to account for the overtaking interactions. Forces/moment acting on the ship hulls and maneuvering motions were analyzed for both ships during the overtaking. The influences of the speed ratio and the passing distance were specially studied. Two fitting formulas for the minimum distance during the overtaking were finally established as functions of the two factors respectively. They can be used to predict the minimum distance during an overtaking maneuver under similar conditions to avoid marine accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent occurrence of drought for the semiarid region in spring period in recent years seriously influences the grain production. Distributed hydrological model and draught estimation model for semiarid region are not well developed, and they are not physically-based and universal. In this study, grid hydrological model and draught estimation model for semiarid region were established based on the data of typical northern semiarid region of Songnen Plain. The runoff process was estimated by saturated and unsaturated zone flow model, which was established based on LBM method. For the flow confluence process, flow confluence numerical model was constructed by solving the slope and river flow equation with LBM method，and furthermore, LBMGTOPMODEL was built by means of loose coupling for each module in the grid areas. From the respective of hydrologic cycle, combining with hydrological model LBMGTOPMODEL and Palmer Drought Index (PDSI), draught estimation model for semiarid region was formed by simulating the temporal and spatial variation of parameters in the water circulation process of Taoer River, which is located in a typical semiarid region. The results showed that the average absolute value of the relative error of the 10-field flood simulation runoff was 4.45%, the average absolute value of the relative error of the flood peak flow was 5%, and the mean value of the deterministic coefficient was 0.76. It could be seen that the established LBMGTOPMODEL hydrological model could simulate the process of rainfall and runoff with a high accuracy. Meteorological hydrological constants such as meteorology, water supplement, runoff, water loss and climate characteristics showed a certain spatial distribution state. Among the meteorological hydrological constants, the spatial distribution of climatic characteristic constants was 0-13.1, which showed the most obvious difference. The average values of meteorological hydrological constants changed with the variation of selected computational time period. When the established draught estimation model was used to assess the draught condition of investigated area, the model estimation results were in accordance with the actual conditions of Taoer River basin. When the draught conditions estimated by the established draught estimation model were compared with the draught conditions evaluated by rainfall deviation index of single factor drought index and draught conditions of the actual situation, it could be concluded that PDSI index evaluated by the distributed hydrological model could well reflect the effects of various factors in the hydrological process on the drought and the temporal and spatial evolution process of drought. PDSI index evaluated by the distributed hydrological model could provide guidance for the draught condition assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Half of New Zealand’s renters report damp or mould problems with their homes, which can have negative health implications. Tenants in a newly upgraded social housing complex complained of being cold. Sealing strips around doors and baffles in rangehoods were installed. This exploratory study’s objectives were to determine: (1) whether the interventions influenced indoor temperature, (2) the extent to which indoor temperature changed and (3) benefits to the tenants. The before-and-after rapid response study was conducted in five social housing units. Indoor temperature was subjectively and objectively measured. Using multivariate normal linear regression, units were found to be on average 1.36°C warmer post-intervention after adjusting for outdoor temperature. Tenants’ daily diary entries also claimed units were warmer post-intervention. Simple minor interventions to block draughts made a relatively big difference to indoor temperature and comfort of those living there. Such interventions are worthwhile, especially when housing is tenanted by vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation between human beings and buildings is continuously re-evaluated, due to the continuous evolution and new findings in ergonomics, psychology and other research fields, as well as due to the high number of influencing parameters. One of the main conditions of human comfort is the achievement of the thermal comfort. The most widely used mathematical model describing the human thermal comfort is the PMV model. The local discomfort parameters are complementary to the PMV model. The separate effect of the discomfort parameters are known, but their combined effect is unknown. The purpose of this paper is to present the preliminary findings of a research which analyses the human response to the combined effect of the draught and the hot wall. The measurements were conducted at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics Department of Building Services and Process Engineering in the Macskásy thermal comfort chamber. The results of the paper are as follows: the presentation of the measured parameter groups which influence the thermal comfort; the evaluation of the thermal comfort under various draught and hot wall conditions; the presentation of the methodology for evaluating the human response on the combined effect of the hot wall and the draught. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the grain crop yield of non-wetting sandy soils, mouldboard ploughs are again being used in Australia. To improve the effectiveness of top soil burial from ploughing the most suitable operating parameters need to be determined. The discrete element method (DEM) has the potential to model soil–mouldboard plough interactions relating to both soil movement and tillage forces. A full scale mouldboard plough was tested in the field and then simulated using DEM. The draught forces predicted by DEM were of similar magnitude to those calculated using ASABE's Agricultural Machinery Management Data (D497.7 R2015). The DEM model predicted top soil burial to a similar depth in the soil profile as was measured in the field. However, DEM predictions of lateral and forward soil movements of the buried top soil were greater than that measured in the field. The DEM predictions showed that increasing speed from 5 to 15 km h −1 gave a 40% increase in draught and a significant reduction in the depth of top soil burial. Increasing the tillage depth from 200 to 350 mm gave a 270% increase in draught but very little change in depth of burial of the top soil. The use of a skimmer was predicted to increase the draught by 4% and increase the amount of top soil buried below 100 mm depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slot-ventilated rooms are widely used in comfort type HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems, where the air inlet is usually a simple slot-diffuser. The geometry of the slot is often expressed by the aspect ratio (AR), which is an important designing parameter of the room air distribution in ventilation systems. Aspect ratio of the slot-diffuser is the non-dimensional ratio of the slot's length and width. This AR value can influence room airflow characteristics, including draught comfort. Previously, the effect of inlet aspect ratio on a slot-ventilated room's draught environment was not investigated. In this article, the influence of various aspect ratios was investigated on a slot-ventilated model room's draught comfort, using Fanger's DR model. The investigations included air velocity and temperature measurements in a full-scale single (or cellular) office model room and the measured data were evaluated with statistical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify factors associated with cattle reproductive output in rural smallholder farms in Cambodia in order to determine the main causes of reproductive failure and design efficient interventions for improvement. The majority of the nation's beef is produced on smallholder farms where productivity is constrained by poor animal reproductivity reflected in the recent livestock population decline of approximately 13 % from 2009 to 2013. Farmers ( n = 240) from 16 villages from five provinces were surveyed in mid-2015 to determine their baseline knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) associated with cattle reproduction. In addition, 16 case studies from three of these provinces were conducted to provide a more detailed assessment of current cattle reproductive husbandry practices. In order to assess the reproductive impact of previously implemented interventions, an endpoint KAP survey and longitudinal health and husbandry study from three Cambodian provinces conducted between 2008 and 2013 were also analysed. Three multivariable prediction models (two KAP and one longitudinal) identified the following significant factors associated with the reproductive outcomes 'number of calves born' or probability that cows 'gave birth': target feeding ( P = 0.074), growing vegetables ( P = 0.005), attitudes towards cattle vaccination ( P = 0.010), improving bull selection ( P = 0.032), local breed use ( P = 0.005), number of joining attempts ( P < 0.001), discontinuation of animal draught practices ( P = 0.003) and retention of breeding animals ( P < 0.001). The identification of significant factors and interventions in this study has led to intervention recommendations that can potentially improve reproductive efficiency, combat the declining cattle population and improve smallholder capacity to supply to expanding regional meat demand in South-East Asia and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]