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Prioritization of watershed management scenarios under climate change in the Jemma sub-basin of the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia
No full textStudy region: Jemma sub-basin, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Study focus: This study develops watershed management alternatives which can ensure optimal climate change adaptation benefits under different climate scenarios. The climate scenarios were developed using the statistically bias corrected, multi-model ensemble mean and the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios. The hydrological impact of climate change was assessed using a multi-gauge calibrated and validated the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. Watershed management alternatives were prioritized using a multi-criteria decision analysis which intercompared watershed management criteria and alternatives through the Analytic Hierarchy Process. New hydrological insights: The findings showed a consistent decline of rainfall, surface runoff and total water yield under all climate scenarios and climate impact scenarios. Water harvesting structures were the most prioritized watershed management alternatives to reduce climate change impacts. More than half of the watersheds of the Jemma sub-basin are highly and optimally suitable for in-situ water harvesting under baseline and future climate scenarios. Observed terrace and anticipated in-situ water harvesting structures significantly (p \u3c 0.05) reduced surface runoff and thereby significantly increase soil water under baseline and future climate scenarios. However, both in-situ and ex-situ water harvesting structures caused an insignificant change in the total water yield under climate scenarios. We conclude implementing in-situ water harvesting structures can help to increase green water without a decline in blue water
Results for the electrostatic potential of a uniformly charged square plate
No full textWe provide theoretical insights on a mathematical approach used to calculate the Coulomb electrostatic potential of a uniformly charged square plate at any given point on its plane that we developed in the past. It is shown here that this method can be generalized in an elegant way to calculate this quantity at any arbitrary point in space. We explain the formalism and illustrate the implementation of the technique by providing all the key results that lead to an exact analytic expression for the value of the electrostatic potential on a point in the line perpendicular to the square plate that passes through its center
Multiple Agent Designs in Conversational Intelligent Tutoring Systems
No full textThis article describes designs that use multiple conversational agents within the framework of intelligent tutoring systems. Agents in this case are computerized talking heads or embodied animated avatars that help students learn by performing actions and holding conversations with them in natural language. The earliest conversational intelligent tutoring systems were limited to a single agent that interacted with a student in the role of a teacher or expert. Technological advances have since made possible systems in which multiple agents interact with the learner and each other to model ideal behavior, strategies, reflections, and social interactions. Though still an emerging technology, multi-agent intelligent tutoring systems afford pedagogical benefits that go beyond the capabilities of the single-agent system and have facilitated learning gains on a variety of subject matters and skills, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, research methods, metacognition, and language comprehension. The present work describes some common multi-agent designs that may be used to achieve a variety of pedagogical goals. We provide examples of how these designs have been implemented in educational or experimental settings and anticipate future use within the field of artificial intelligence
Social cohesion and quality of life among survivors of a natural disaster
No full textPurpose: The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between social cohesion and two domains of quality of life (QOL) among individuals affected by Hurricane Ike, which made landfall on September 13, 2008. Psychosocial and physical QOL were measured using the Short form of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q-SF; Endicottn et al. in Psychopharmacol Bull 29: 321–326, 1993). Methods: The participants were 658 survivors who participated in the Galveston Bay Recovery Study (GBRS; National Center for Disaster Mental Health Research, Galea, and Norris in Galveston Bay Recovery Study, 2008–2010, Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], Ann Arbor, MI, https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR34801.v1, 2016). Assessments were conducted at approximately 3, 6, and 15 months after the disaster. Longitudinal structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the association between social cohesion and both psychosocial and physical QOL at 6 and 15 months after the hurricane. Results: The results revealed no significant association between social cohesion and physical QOL at either 6 or 15 months. Furthermore, no association was found between social cohesion and psychosocial QOL at 6 months. However, there was a significant positive association between social cohesion and psychosocial QOL at 15 months, even after controlling for the previous levels of posttraumatic stress and demographic variables. Conclusion: The current study highlights a potential effect of social cohesion on QOL, specifically the psychosocial domain, which may manifest after 6 months among survivors of a hurricane. The current results also suggest the importance of long-term programs and interventions to help survivors adjust after experiences of disaster
Agricultural and biomedical applications of chitosan-based nanomaterials
No full textChitosan has emerged as a biodegradable, nontoxic polymer with multiple beneficial applications in the agricultural and biomedical sectors. As nanotechnology has evolved as a promising field, researchers have incorporated chitosan-based nanomaterials in a variety of products to enhance their efficacy and biocompatibility. Moreover, due to its inherent antimicrobial and chelating properties, and the availability of modifiable functional groups, chitosan nanoparticles were also directly used in a variety of applications. In this review, the use of chitosan-based nanomaterials in agricultural and biomedical fields related to the management of abiotic stress in plants, water availability for crops, controlling foodborne pathogens, and cancer photothermal therapy is discussed, with some insights into the possible mechanisms of action. Additionally, the toxicity arising from the accumulation of these nanomaterials in biological systems and future research avenues that had gained limited attention from the scientific community are discussed here. Overall, chitosan-based nanomaterials show promising characteristics for sustainable agricultural practices and effective healthcare in an eco-friendly manner
Extension of Two Parameter Gamma, Beta Functions and Its Properties
Get PDFIn this paper, we introduce the extension of the p-k Gamma function and the p-k Beta function. This extension of the p-k Gamma function is named as p-k-b Gamma function and an extension of the beta function is p-k-b Beta function. The new extension of the Gamma and Beta function has satisfied the usual properties. Also, we prove several identities of these functions
On Double Fuzzy M-open Mappings and Double Fuzzy M-closed Mappings
Get PDFWe introduce and investigate some new class of mappings called double fuzzy M-open map and double fuzzy M-closed map in double fuzzy topological spaces. Also, some of their fundamental properties are studied. Moreover, we investigate the relationships between double fuzzy open, double fuzzy θ semiopen, double fuzzy δ preopen, double fuzzy M open and double fuzzy e open and their respective closed mappings
Stability Analysis of Circular Robe’s R3BP with Finite Straight Segment and Viscosity
Get PDFIn this paper, the effect of viscous force on the linear stability of equilibrium points of the circular Robe’s restricted three-body problem (CRR3BP) with smaller primary as a finite straight segment is studied. The present model comprises of a bigger primary m*1 which is a rigid spherical shell filled with a homogeneous incompressible fluid of density ρ1 and the smaller primary m2 lies outside the shell. The infinitesimal mass m3 is a small solid sphere of density ρ3 moving inside m*1. The pertinent equations of motion of m3 are derived and solved for the equilibrium points. Routh-Hurwitz criterion is used to detect the stability of the obtained equilibrium points. The stability of the collinear equilibrium points has been studied systematically in the different regions for the various values of the parameters involved. These points are found to be conditionally stable, whereas the non-collinear and out-of-plane equilibrium points are always unstable for all the values of the parameters. We observed that viscosity has no effect on the location of equilibrium points. However, its effect along with the length parameter l is evident on the stability of equilibrium points
Multilayer Security of RGB Image in Discrete Hartley Domain
Get PDFIn this article, we present RGB image encryption and decryption using random matrix affine cipher (RMAC) associated with discrete Hartley transform (DHT) and random matrix shift cipher (RMSC). The parameters in RMAC and RMSC phases act as two series of secret keys whose arrangement is imperative in the proposed algorithm. The computer simulations with results and examples are given to analyze the efficiency of the proposed approach. Further, security analysis and comparison with the prior techniques successfully supports the robustness and validation of the proposed technique
Explicit Formulas for Solutions Of Maxwell’s Equations in Conducting Media
Get PDFA new explicit presentation of the fundamental solution of the time-dependent Maxwell’s equations in conducting isotropic media is derived by Hadamard techniques through the fundamental solution of the telegraph operator. This presentation is used to obtain explicit formulas for generalized solutions of the initial value problem for Maxwell’s equations. A new explicit Kirchhoff’s formula for the classical solution of the initial value problem for the Maxwell equations in conducting media is derived. The obtained explicit formulas can be used in the boundary integral method, Green’s functions method and for computation of electric and magnetic fields in conducting media and materials