scholarly journals Key factors involved in reduction of damage to sunflower by the European sunflower moth in China through late planting

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0250209
Author(s):  
Yunxia Cheng ◽  
Thomas W. Sappington ◽  
Lizhi Luo ◽  
Chenguang Liu ◽  
Yongjun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Window ◽  
Infestation Rate ◽  
Optimal Time ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Late Planting ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Sunflower Moth ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Seed Infestation ◽  
Production Losses

The European sunflower moth, Homoesoma nebulellum (Denis et Schiffermüller), emerged as a major new pest in Bayannur, China, in 2006. Insecticidal control with a single application is problematic because timing is critical, and multiple applications increase production and environmental costs. Management of H. nebulellum by planting date adjustment can be effective, but the optimal time window for late planting is unknown. Natural levels of H. nebulellum infestation were compared among sunflowers planted on five dates from April 25 to June 5 in two years, and the relationship between timing of adult abundance and flowering assessed. Delaying planting of sunflower from the traditional planting period of April 25 –May 5 to May 15 –June 5 significantly decreased damage by H. nebulellum. Seed infestation rate was 30–40 times higher, and number of larvae/head 75–100 times higher in the earliest two plantings than in the latest two. Within two years of implementing delayed planting in Bayannur city, infestation area decreased from 72% in 2006 to 1.5% in 2008, and production losses decreased from 4.5 ton/ha in 2006 to 0.36 ton/ha in 2008, a 97% decrease compared to 2006. Moreover, the infestation area caused by H. nebulellum was continuously controlled below 5.3% of the planting area since 2008. We found the overlap between the first two days of flowering and peak adult presence was the key factor influencing level of damage caused by H. nebulellum. Because the number of eggs laid in the first two days of flowering accounted for 68% of the total, and sunflower seed infestation rate was positively correlated with the number of trapped adults weighted by proportion of daily oviposition. Oviposition of the majority of eggs in the first two days of flowering suggests an evolutionary mechanism whereby females choose host plants most conducive to larval development, consistent with the preference-performance hypothesis.

scholarly journals It matters to be in good hands: the relationship between good governance and pandemic spread inferred from cross-country COVID-19 data

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Munirul H. Nabin ◽  
Mohammad Tarequl Hasan Chowdhury ◽  
Sukanto Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Significant Inverse Relationship ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Positive Rate ◽  
Quality Of Governance ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThis study examines the relationship between good governance and pandemic control using month-wise COVID-19 pandemic data within a time window from April to September 2020. The study argues that countries with better governance are more capable of adopting and implementing appropriate policies and that such governments are considered more trustworthy by their people. Combined, these factors enable such countries to better control a pandemic like COVID-19. Using several measures of good governance and two measures of pandemic spread, namely the COVID-19 positive rate and the COVID-19 growth rate, this paper tests its argument econometrically in a sample of 185 countries. The results show the existence of a significant inverse relationship between all measures of good governance, and the COVID-19 positive and growth rates. The significant inverse relationship largely persists even after controlling for continent-fixed effects and a host of geographic, demographic, and socio-economic factors. This indicates the presence of a strong systemic linkage between quality of governance and pandemic control. The findings empirically strengthen the argument of eminent medical historians concerning the importance of effective governmental intervention for epidemic control. The study reveals that the quality of governance is a key factor in a country’s success in pandemic management and encourages further investigation.

scholarly journals Comparison of Assistive Orthopedic Products using the Pugh Matrix. A Universal Design and Ergonomics Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Alana Rosa López ◽  
Juan Luis Hernández Arellano ◽  
Edson Francisco Estrada Meneses
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Design Criteria ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Ergonomic Design ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Design Requirements ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Selection Of

The objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between universal design and ergonomics as key factors in the design and selection of assistive products developing a comparison using the Pugh matrix. A group of users was interviewed to determine the design requirements of aid products and then, the products available in the market were evaluated to determine which could be the best. The user’s needs were identified through the evaluations among patients with rheumatoid arthritis focusing on universal and ergonomic design and sixty-nine assistive products were selected. The Pugh matrix was applied to compare and evaluate them based on design criteria. The results indicate that accessibility products must be more efficient in terms of reach, grip, apprehension, pincer grasp, materials, and the force required to use the product. However, the aesthetics of the design was a key factor for the user to select the product and feel more comfortable when using it.

scholarly journals Key Factor for Successful Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) Operation: a Delphi Technique at Langkawi Terminal, Kedah

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 4566-4573
Keyword(s):  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Delphi Technique ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Sea Transport ◽  
Sea Transportation ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
The Relationship

Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel been used as a sea transportation that designed to carry cargo as well with passenger from one place to another place. This research is conducted at Langkawi Islands. The main transportation systems of this island are more on sea transport rather than air transport. The dissatisfaction of passengers with the facilities provided by Ro-Ro’s company at Langkawi Terminal has been discovered. Thus, this research are aims to investigate the key factors for successful Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) Short Sea Shipping (SSS) operations in Langkawi Terminal and to determine the relationship between key factors toward successful of Ro-Ro operation at Langkawi Terminal. Seven (7) competent expertise and experienced respondents in maritime sector at Langkawi terminal has been contributed in this research. A Delphi survey has been conducted for this research to identify any key factors and access their opinion on the relative of all key factors involved. Two (2) round of the Delphi questionnaire survey be used as a research instrument with the Likert scale. The reliability and validity of this research is 0.730. In conclusion, most respondents agreed that the key factors that have been analysis play an important role in achieving the successful of Ro-Ro operation at Langkawi Terminal.

scholarly journals THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TECHNOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY OF EXPORT COMPANIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 425-448
Author(s):  
Ivana Martinčević ◽  
◽  
Goran Kozina
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Great Pressure ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Relationship

Information and communication and digital technologies provide numerous opportunities for companies so that companies can operate more easily and efficiently globally and, due to new technologies, gain a competitive advantage. New trends and technologies are creating great pressure in the market and companies are forced to look for new, faster and more efficient ways and models of doing business. Markets dictate the pace and are becoming more digital precisely due to technology that is advancing and evolving rapidly. With new technology, knowledge and innovations are the key factors to success. Many companies today are defined and described as knowledge companies that accumulate and develop existing knowledge but also adopt new. The aim of this paper was to explore and examine the ability of the organization to absorb knowledge (absorptive capacity) as the key factor in the process of acceptance of new technologies. The research was conducted in the Republic of Croatia and Croatian export companies (micro, small, medium and large) were included in the research. The research hypothesis "Technological dynamics of new technologies affect the absorptive capacity of acceptance of new technologies in export companies of the Republic of Croatia" was confirmed through conducted research. The research has proven that absorptive capacity plays a major role in the context of an organization’s ability to recognize, acquire, transform, and use new knowledge and new technologies.

Examining Organizational, Cultural, and Individual-Level Factors Related to Workplace Safety and Health Awareness and Risks: A Systematic Review and Metric Analysis (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund W. J. Lee ◽  
Han Zheng ◽  
Htet Htet Aung ◽  
Megha Rani Aroor ◽  
Chen Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Citation Count ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Health Awareness ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Metric Analysis ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

BACKGROUND Promoting safety and health awareness and mitigating risks are of paramount importance to companies in high-risk industries. Yet, there are very few studies that have synthesized findings from existing online workplace safety and health literature to identify what are the key factors that are related to (a) safety awareness, (b) safety risks, (c) health awareness, and (d) health risks. OBJECTIVE As one of the first systematic reviews in the area of workplace health and safety, this study aims to identify the factors related to safety and health awareness as well as risks, and systematically map these factors within three levels: organizational, cultural, and individual level. Also, this review aims to assess the impact of these workplace safety and health publications in both academic (e.g., academic databases, Mendeley, and PlumX) and non-academic settings (e.g., social media platform). METHODS The systematic review was conducted in line with procedures recommended by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). First, Proquest, ScienceDirect and Scopus were identified as suitable databases for the systematic review. Second, after inputting search queries related to safety and health awareness and risks, the articles were evaluated based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Third, the factors identified in the included articles were coded systematically. Fourth, the research team assessed the impact of the articles through a combination of traditional and new metric analysis methods: citation count, Altmetric Attention Score, Mendeley readers count, usage count, and capture count. RESULTS Out of a total of 4,831 articles retrieved from the three databases, 51 articles were included in the final sample and were systematically coded. The results revealed six categories of organizational (management commitment, management support, organizational safety communication, safety management systems, physical work environment, and organizational environment), two cultural (interpersonal support and organizational culture), and four individual (perception, motivation, attitude and behavior) level factors that relate to safety and health awareness and risk. In terms of impact, the relationship between citation count and the various metrics measuring academic activity (e.g., Mendeley readers, usage count, and capture count) were mostly significant while the relationship between citation count and Altmetric Attention Score was non-significant. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a macro view of the current state of workplace safety and health research and gives scholars an indication on some of the key factors of safety and health awareness and risks. Researchers should also be cognizant that while their work may receive attention from the scholarly community, it is important to tailor their communication messages for the respective industries they are studying to maximize the receptivity and impact of their findings. CLINICALTRIAL N.A.

scholarly journals Comparison of the sensitivity of Western blotting between PVDF and NC membranes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yufang Xiang ◽  
Yuanyuan Zheng ◽  
Shaobo Liu ◽  
Gang Liu ◽  
Zhi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Blotting ◽  
Polyvinylidene Fluoride ◽  
Staining Intensity ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Molecular Weights ◽  
Direct Blue ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractWestern blotting (WB) is one of the most widely used techniques to identify proteins as well as post translational modifications of proteins. The selection of electroblotted membrane is one of the key factors affecting the detection sensitivity of the protein which is transferred from gel to membrane in WB. The most common used membranes are polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and nitrocellulose (NC) membranes. Which membrane of these two is more suitable for WB has not been reported so far. Here, by incubating proteins which were transferred to PVDF or NC membranes with a series of antibodies and different types of lectins, we investigated the relationship between the binding ability of these two membranes to proteins or glycoproteins and the molecular weight of the target protein. The antibody re-probed ability of the two membranes was also explored. Moreover, we verified the above results by directly incubating proteins having different molecular weights onto PVDF or NC membranes. Bound proteins were stained with direct blue-71, and the staining intensity was quantitated by scanning and densitometry.

scholarly journals Estimation of resistance force at steady-state sinkage for cylindrical wheel-typed lunar/planetary exploration rovers with function of push–pull locomotion

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Fujiwara ◽  
Naoki Tsujikawa ◽  
Tetsuya Oshima ◽  
Kojiro Iizuka
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Planetary Exploration ◽  
Experimental Result ◽  
Resistance Force ◽  
Estimation Model ◽  
Loose Soil ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Resistance Forces

Abstract Planetary exploration rovers have required a high traveling performance to overcome obstacles such as loose soil and rocks. Push-pull locomotion rovers is a unique scheme, like an inchworm, and it has high traveling performance on loose soil. Push-pull locomotion uses the resistance force by keeping a locked-wheel related to the ground, whereas the conventional rotational traveling uses the shear force from loose soil. The locked-wheel is a key factor for traveling in the push-pull scheme. Understanding the sinking behavior and its resistance force is useful information for estimating the rover’s performance. Previous studies have reported the soil motion under the locked-wheel, the traction, and the traveling behavior of the rover. These studies were, however, limited to the investigation of the resistance force and amount of sinkage for the particular condition depending on the rover. Additionally, the locked-wheel sinks into the soil until it obtains the required force for supporting the other wheels’ motion. How the amount of sinkage and resistance forces are generated at different wheel sizes and mass of an individual wheel has remained unclear, and its estimation method hasn’t existed. This study, therefore, addresses the relationship between the sinkage and its resistance force, and we analyze and consider this relationship via the towing experiment and theoretical consideration. The results revealed that the sinkage reached a steady-state value and depended on the contact area and mass of each wheel, and the maximum resistance force also depends on this sinkage. Additionally, the estimation model did not capture the same trend as the experimental results when the wheel width changed, whereas, the model captured a relatively the same trend as the experimental result when the wheel mass and diameter changed.

scholarly journals Optimize Design of Run-Flat Tires by Simulation and Experimental Research

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 474
Author(s):  
Huaqiao Liu ◽  
Yiren Pan ◽  
Huiguang Bian ◽  
Chuansheng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Stress Distribution ◽  
Energy Loss ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Performance Tests ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Heat Accumulation ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Structural Rigidity ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Durability Testing

In this study, the two key factors affecting the thermal performance of the insert rubber and stress distribution on the tire sidewall were analyzed extensively through various performance tests and simulations to promote the development of run-flat tires. Four compounds and two structures of insert rubber were designed to investigate the effects of heat accumulation and stress distribution on durability testing at zero pressure. It was concluded that the rigidity and tensile strength of the compound were negatively correlated with temperature. The deformation was a key factor that affects energy loss, which could not be judged solely by the loss factor. The stress distribution, however, should be considered in order to avoid early damage of the tire caused by stress concentration. On the whole, the careful balance of mechanical strength, energy loss, and structural rigidity was the key to the optimal development of run-flat tires. More importantly, the successful implementation of the simulations in the study provided important and useful guidance for run-flat tire development.

scholarly journals High coverage COVID-19 mRNA vaccination rapidly controls SARS-CoV-2 transmission in long-term care facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo M. De Salazar ◽  
Nicholas B. Link ◽  
Karuna Lamarca ◽  
Mauricio Santillana
Keyword(s):  
Long Term Care ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
High Coverage ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Early Effect ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) represent a major share of COVID-19 deaths worldwide. Measuring the vaccine effectiveness among the most vulnerable in these settings is essential to monitor and improve mitigation strategies. Methods We evaluate the early effect of the administration of BNT162b2-mRNA vaccine to individuals older than 64 years residing in LTCFs in Catalonia, Spain. We monitor all the SARS-CoV-2 documented infections and deaths among LTCFs residents once more than 70% of them were fully vaccinated (February–March 2021). We develop a modeling framework based on the relationship between community and LTCFs transmission during the pre-vaccination period (July–December 2020). We compute the total reduction in SARS-CoV-2 documented infections and deaths among residents of LTCFs over time, as well as the reduction in the detected transmission for all the LTCFs. We compare the true observations with the counterfactual predictions. Results We estimate that once more than 70% of the LTCFs population are fully vaccinated, 74% (58–81%, 90% CI) of COVID-19 deaths and 75% (36–86%, 90% CI) of all expected documented infections among LTCFs residents are prevented. Further, detectable transmission among LTCFs residents is reduced up to 90% (76–93%, 90% CI) relative to that expected given transmission in the community. Conclusions Our findings provide evidence that high-coverage vaccination is the most effective intervention to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission and death among LTCFs residents. Widespread vaccination could be a feasible avenue to control the COVID-19 pandemic conditional on key factors such as vaccine escape, roll out and coverage.

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