A Multipath Payment Scheme Supporting Proof of Payment

Blockchain technology has always been plagued by performance problems. Given this problem, many scaling schemes have been put forward. A layer 2 network is a technology that solves the performance problem of blockchain. Connected parties in this network can set up channels to send digital currency to each other. Since the interaction with the blockchain is only required when the channel is established and closed, a large number of transactions do not need to be recorded on the blockchain, thus reducing the blockchain capacity. Due to the special structure of the payment channel, the distribution of funds in the channel is often unbalanced, which limits the route payment to a certain extent. This paper improves the original payment method in the second layer network by introducing new scripts. The new payment scheme supports proof of payment which is integral to the nature of the lightning network and divides the payment into several subpayments, so the large payment can be divided into relatively small payments. Due to the capacity limitation of the payment channel, theoretically, the success rate of the micropayment route is higher. This paper tests the new payment scheme on the simulated network and validates the nature of this solution to have a high routing success rate while supporting proof of payment.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Photovoltaic System for Fishery Cold Storage Based on Ownership Models and Regulatory Boundaries in Indonesia

With Indonesia’s marine resources abundance, it is appropriate for Indonesia’s economic growth to gear towards the fisheries sector. Fishery management in Indonesia is still not operating optimally due to a lack of fisheries management infrastructure. This study took place at the Fish Auction Place in Dadap Village, West Java, Indonesia. The actual problem is a fluctuation in fish catch due to seasonal factors that cause instability in fish prices and fishermen’s incomes. Furthermore, there is no cold storage for storing fish when the fish are abundant so that the quality of the fish will decrease. However, fishery cold storage is energy-intensive equipment, and there is a lack of electricity infrastructure in that coastal area. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are the key for rural electricity because RES prices are lower, especially on-grid solar photovoltaic (PV), than fossil fuel-based. Consequently, the application of solar PV in Indonesia is still not optimal due to limited regulations. Regulations that hinder the economic value of On-grid PV system are the excess energy compensation percentage and the inverter capacity limitation. Therefore, in this study, we have modelled six regulatory scenarios related to On-grid PV system. The scenarios are how the current 65% excess energy compensation is changed to 85% and 100% (1:1 ratio) and remove the regulation regarding inverter capacity limitation. Furthermore, the ownership model of cold storage is also considered by dividing it into two models, which are commercial-based and community-based. These ownership models have different financial instruments. The simulation gives a new result by changing regulation assumptions that On-grid PV system has a lower Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) than existing regulation because it can produce threefold more electricity to the utility grid with higher inverter capacity. Furthermore, the community-based cold storage rental price can be 16 % cheaper on average with all energy system topologies than the commercial-based ownership model. Then, by reducing the capital costs of solar modules and batteries in 2030, solar PV system’s LCOE will be lower by an average of 20%. It will result in an average reduction of 10% on cold storage rental prices. Finally, sensitivity analysis of the energy system is also conducted in this study. The result is that On-grid PV system is the most secure energy source against price fluctuations.

The assessment of capacity limitations in psychiatric work disability evaluations by the social functioning scale Mini-ICF-APP

Objective Insurers frequently commission medical experts to estimate the degree of the remaining work capacity (RWC) in claimants for disability benefits. The social functioning scale Mini-ICF-APP allows for a rating of activity and participation limitations in thirteen capacity domains, considered as particularly relevant for work ability. The current study sought to evaluate the role of the Mini-ICF-APP ratings in psychiatric work disability evaluations, by examining how the capacity limitation ratings varied with the claimants’ primary psychiatric diagnoses and how the ratings were related to RWC estimates. Methods Medical experts estimated the RWC of 946 claimants with mental disorders and rated their activity and participation limitations using the Mini-ICF-APP, with higher ratings reflecting more severe limitations. The ratings were compared between claimants with different psychiatric diagnoses by analyses of variance. The mean Mini-ICF-APP rating across all capacity domains as well as all capacity-specific ratings were entered in simple or multiple regression models to predict the RWC in an alternative job. Results The Mini-ICF-APP capacity limitation ratings in all domains but mobility were higher for claimants with personality and behavior disorders as compared to those with mood disorders or with neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders. The largest differences were observed in social capacities (e.g. group integration: F 2, 847 = 78.300, P < 0.001). In claimants with depression, all ratings increased with the severity of the diagnosis (all Fs 2, 203 > 16.393, all Ps < 0.001). In the overall sample, the mean Mini-ICF-APP rating showed a strong negative correlation with the estimated RWC (r = −.720, P < 0.001). Adding the capacity-specific ratings to the prediction model improved this prediction only marginally. Discussion The Mini-ICF-APP allows for documenting claimants’ activity and participation limitations, which is likely to increase the transparency of medical experts’ RWC estimates and enables them to check the plausibility of such estimates. However, our study showed that despite the strong association between RWC and Mini-ICF-APP ratings, half of the RWC variance was unrelated to the capacity limitations documented in the Mini-ICF-APP.

The Predictive Brain Must Have a Limitation in Short-Term Memory Capacity

Traditionally, short-term memory (STM) has been assessed by asking participants to remember words, visual objects, or numbers for a short amount of time before their recall or recognition of those items is tested. However, this focus on memory for past sensory input might have obscured potential theoretical insights into the function of this cognitive faculty. Here, we suggest that STM may have an important role in predicting future sensory input. This reconceptualization of STM may provide a functional explanation for its capacity limitation.

Portrayal of Bangladeshi Existentialism: “Like a Diamond in the Sky” in Context

Shazia Omar, a Bangladeshi novelist, depicts the less-known imagery of modern Dhaka in her debut novel “Like a Diamond in the Sky” (2009) where she portrays Bangladesh infected with depression, drug addiction, power-play, corruption and fundamentalism. Deen, the protagonist, is lost in addiction, isolated from his mother and outer world but in love with Maria, aware of the future of Bangladesh and eager to search for the meaning of life. Deen, which literally implies the earthly life in Bangla, is an existentialist who is conscious of himself and the people around him. He is aware of his capacity, limitation, existence and essence. He comments on different orders and institutions that hinder at the path of freedom, and about politicization and islamisation in Bangladesh. Not only Deen but also his widowed mother, his friend AJ, drug peddler Falani, the sergeant of the Police, Deen’s girlfriend Maria- all are conscious of their existence and essence. This novel is about a journey from a dark and aimless world to redemption, to a meaningful life. Omar presents existentialism and existential crisis as noticed in Bangladesh in her novel where almost all characters try to find the meaning of life, though in different ways. Omar says in an interview that the novel “explores their feeling of alienation in the chaotic metropolis of Dhaka city” and her protagonist struggles “to find a spiritual connection”. Before writing this novel, Shazia Omar researched in a rehab in Mumbai, visited slums of Bangladesh and thus shaded light on the darker and less-discussed imagery of Bangladesh. “Like a Diamond in the Sky” is thoroughly examined in the light of existentialism, developed by Descartes, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Heidegger. This paper analyses how “Like a Diamond in the Sky” represents Bangladeshi existentialism, and existentialists who are conscious of existence and essence. It also discusses the observation, of Omar’s characters projected in the novel, about established orders and institutions and finally, desire for freedom and searching for meaning of life.