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Blockchain scaling and liquidity concentration on decentralized exchanges
No full textLiquidity providers (LPs) on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) can protect themselves from adverse selection risk by updating their positions more frequently. However, repositioning is costly, because LPs have to pay gas fees for each update. We analyze the causal relation between repositioning and liquidity concentration around the market price, using the entry of blockchain scaling solutions, Arbitrum and Polygon, as our instruments. Lower gas fees on scaling solutions allow LPs to update more frequently than on Ethereum. Our results demonstrate that higher repositioning intensity and precision lead to greater liquidity concentration, which benefits small trades by reducing their slippage
Assortative mating and the dark triad : evidence from the UK, Fiji, and meta-analytic review
No full textThe ‘Dark Triad’ represents the socially aversive personality traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. There is evidence of assortative mating suggesting romantic partners are more similar than chance for these traits at the start of their relationship (initial assortment) and not becoming alike with time (convergence) and that people seek out partners to whom they are similar (active assortment) and that similarity effects are not explained by social stratification effects (social homogamy). As the literature relates primarily to Eastern European and North American populations, we present studies from the UK (N = 104 couples) and Fiji (N = 99 couples). These showed significant positive assortment for each Dark Triad trait (other than psychopathy in the Fijian sample), and suggest the effects are explained by initial and active assortment and not by convergence or social homogamy. We also submitted the literature to meta-analytic review (Machiavellianism: k = 7, N = 650; narcissism: k = 13, N = 1329; psychopathy: k = 9, N = 1165) and observed positive within-couple correlations of small-to-medium effect size for each of the Dark Triad traits
Development of artificial inoculation techniques for cavity spot caused by Pythium violae to identify new management strategies
No full textThe soilborne oomycete Pythium violae is the principal cause of cavity spot of carrots in the UK, a disease which remains a huge challenge for carrot growers as just a few superficial lesions severely reduce crop marketability. Chemical control is limited to application of metalaxyl-M, but efficacy can be variable; hence new approaches for cavity spot disease management are required. However, this is hampered by a lack of consistent inoculation approaches for P. violae that reliably induce cavity spot disease. The aim of this research was to develop robust artificial inoculation systems in both glasshouse and field suitable for identifying alternative control products and sources of disease resistance in the future. In glasshouse experiments, artificial inoculation of growing media using a P. violae oospore inoculum at different concentrations resulted in some damping off of carrot seedlings and stunted carrot roots. Although carrots developed typical cavity spot lesions, there was no clear effect of oospore concentration on the incidence or severity of symptoms. A mycelial inoculum of P. violae resulted in higher cavity spot incidence in carrots. In a field based small plot macrocosm system, the P. violae oospore inoculum successfully induced high levels of cavity spot disease in carrots, although again there was no effect of initial oospore concentration. A subsequent assessment of different crop protection products in the field macrocosms showed that although some reduced cavity spot, this was only statistically significant for SL567A (metalaxyl-M). This research has therefore identified suitable inoculum types and techniques for assessing the efficacy of cavity spot control strategies
Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of fifty strains of Beauveria spp. (Ascomycota, Cordycipitaceae) fungal entomopathogens from diverse geographic origins against the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)
No full textBACKGROUND: The diamondback moth (DBM) (Plutella xylostella) causes large losses to global crop production. Conventional insecticides are losing effectiveness due to resistance. Consequently, there is a growing interest in sustainable control methods like entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) in Integrated Pest Management. However, the field efficacy of fungi varies due to environmental influences. In this study, a group of 50 Beauveria strains sourced from different locations were characterized by genotype and phenotype with respect to their conidial production, temperature and UV‐B radiation tolerance, and virulence against DBM. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct species: Beauveria bassiana (84%) and B. pseudobassiana (16%). Most strains showed optimal growth between 25 °C and 28 °C, with germination severely affected at 10 °C and 33 °C. Notably, 44% displayed high resistance to UV‐B radiation (5.94 kJ m−2), with germination rates between 60.9% and 88.1%. Geographical origin showed no correlation with temperature or UV radiation tolerance. In virulence experiments, 52% of strains caused mortality rates exceeding 80% in DBM second instars at 7 days after exposure to a 4 mL conidial suspension (107 conidia/mL). CONCLUSION: Survival under environmental conditions is crucial for EPF‐based commercial products against DBM. Results suggest strain tolerance to environmental stressors is more tied to specific micro‐climatic factors than geographical origin. Each strain exhibited unique characteristics; for example, the most virulent strain (#29) was highly UV‐sensitive. Therefore, characterizing diverse strains provides essential genotypic and phenotypic insights, which are fundamental for understanding their role as biocontrol agents while facilitating efficient biopesticide product development and uptake
Search for new phenomena in two-body invariant mass distributions using unsupervised machine learning for anomaly detection at √
No full textSearches for new resonances are performed using an unsupervised anomaly-detection technique. Events with at least one electron or muon are selected from 140 fb−1 o
Performance enhancement of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal system using wire coils inside the cooling tube : numerical and experimental case
No full textThere are several strict reasons to overcome the dependence on fossil fuels and count on renewable energy sources such as solar energy. In this study, a numerical/experimental investigation on a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal system is carried out. A hybrid system would achieve higher electrical efficiency by reducing panel surface temperature, and the heat transferred could have further benefits. Using wire coils inside cooling tubes is a passive method selected in this paper to improve heat transfer. The appropriate number of wire coils was determined using numerical simulation, and then the experimental study began in real-time. Different flow rates with different pitch to diameter ratios for wire coils were considered. The results show that placing three wire coils inside the cooling tube would increase the average electrical and thermal efficiency by 2.29 and 16.87%, respectively, compared to the simple cooling mode. According to the results, if a wire coil is used in the cooling tube, a 9.42% increase in the average total efficiency based on electricity generation during a test day would appear compared to the simple cooling. A numerical method was applied again to evaluate the results of experimental tests as well as observe the phenomena in the cooling fluid path
Assimilating human feedback from autonomous vehicle interaction in reinforcement learning models
No full textWellbeing, psychological distress and self-harm in late adolescence in the UK : the role of gender and personality traits
No full textConcerns about mental health difficulties and reduced wellbeing in adolescents are on the rise in public discourses and the media. This study utilised data from the Millennium Cohort Study (Waves 6 and 7) to examine 17- year- olds’ mental health and wellbeing in relation to gender and personality traits, and longitudinal differences in social and emotional difficulties and prosocial behaviour from mid to late adolescence. Across measures of mental health and wellbeing, the findings showed that adolescent girls fared much worse than boys, particularly in reporting psychological distress and self-harm. Longitudinal analyses showed that as young women moved from mid to late adolescence, they scored higher in psychological distress and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Also, compared to boys, girls rated themselves higher on neuroticism, a personality trait, which emerged as a strong predictor of psychological distress. The findings from this study have implications for young people’s mental health and wellbeing and gender inequality. Given the current policy concerns about young people’s mental health difficulties and self-harm, this study is hoped to contribute to an informed debate about wellbeing through gender and personality lenses while raising questions about current understandings of wellbeing and education and public health policy developments.
Ethical sensibilities for practicing care in management and organization research
Get PDFManagement and organization researchers are being called to conduct research that is more caring, yet the concept of care and how to practice it within the profession is undertheorized. Adopting a feminist epistemology and methodology, we develop the concept of care by weaving the personal, ethical, and political into the research process. First, we reflect critically on how aspects of care – attentiveness, responsibility, competence, and responsiveness (Tronto, 1993, 2013) – unfolded in our personal research experiences, and secondly, we conduct a review of articles published in management and organization studies and analyse expressed or concealed conceptions of care in scholars’ accounts of research purpose and ethics. We find three ethical sensibilities at the heart of enacting care: encountering the ‘other’, interpreting roles and responsibilities, and deliberating needs and resources. We contribute to a feminist research ethics by highlighting issues related to care that are concealed in dominant ethos guiding management and organization research. Further, we develop methodological insights for implementing an ethic of care as an alternative ethical standpoint in business research ethics. Finally, we provide suggestions for how to embed more care within research ethics practices in academic institutions
