Nutrient consumption by diatoms in the dark subsurface layer of Funka Bay, Hokkaido, Japan

We conducted time-series observations in Funka Bay, Hokkaido, Japan, from 15 February to 14 April 2019. The diatom spring bloom peaked on 4 March and started declining on 15 March. Funka Bay winter water remained below 30-m depth, which was below the surface mixed-layer and dark-zone depths on both dates. At depths of 30–50 m, concentrations of NO3–, PO43–, and Si(OH)4 decreased by half between these dates even in darkness. Incubation experiments using the diatom Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii showed that this diatom could consume nutrients in darkness at substantial rates. We conclude that the nutrient reduction in the subsurface layer (30–50 m) could be explained by dark consumption by diatoms that had been growing in the surface waters and then sank to the subsurface layer. We believe that this is the first study to present observational evidence for the consumption of the main nutrients by diatoms in the dark subsurface layer during the spring bloom. Nutrient consumption in this layer might have a substantial influence on the primary production during and after the spring bloom.

Integration of proprioceptive and visual feedback during online control of reaching

Visual and proprioceptive feedback both contribute to perceptual decisions, but it remains unknown how these feedback signals are integrated together or consider factors such as delays and variance during online control. We investigated this question by having participants reach to a target with randomly applied mechanical and/or visual disturbances. We observed that the presence of visual feedback during a mechanical disturbance did not increase the size of the muscle response significantly but did decrease variance, consistent with a dynamic Bayesian integration model. In a control experiment we verified that vision had a potent influence when mechanical and visual disturbances were both present but opposite in sign. These results highlight a complex process for multi-sensory integration, where visual feedback has a relatively modest influence when the limb is mechanically disturbed, but a substantial influence when visual feedback becomes misaligned with the limb.

Economic Evaluation of an Ammonia-Fueled Ammonia Carrier Depending on Methods of Ammonia Fuel Storage

This study proposed two concepts for ammonia fuel storage for an ammonia-fueled ammonia carrier and evaluated these concepts in terms of economics. The first concept was to use ammonia in the cargo tank as fuel and the second concept was to install an additional independent fuel tank in the vessel. When more fuel tanks were installed, there was no cargo loss. However, there were extra costs for fuel tanks. The target ship was an 84,000 m3 ammonia carrier (very large gas carrier, VLGC). It traveled from Kuwait to South Korea. The capacity of fuel tanks was 4170 m3, which is the required amount for the round trip. This study conducted an economic evaluation to compare the two proposed concepts. Profits were estimated based on sales and life cycle cost (LCC). Results showed that sales were USD 1223 million for the first concept and USD 1287 million for the second concept. Profits for the first and second concepts were USD 684.3 million and USD 739.5 million, respectively. The second concept showed a USD 53.1 million higher profit than the first concept. This means that the second concept, which installed additional independent fuel tanks was better than the first concept in terms of economics. Sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the influence of given parameters on the results. When the ammonia fuel price was changed by ±25%, there was a 15% change in the profits and if the ammonia (transport) fee was changed by ±25%, there was a 45% change in the profits. The ammonia fuel price and ammonia (cargo) transport fee had a substantial influence on the business of ammonia carriers.

Microfinance towards micro-enterprises development in rural Malaysia through digital finance

Microfinance is critical for the development of micro-enterprises and alleviating poverty. However, micro-enterprises are able to get microfinance services, they would face a variety of obstacles, due to the misunderstandings among many stakeholders, microfinance has not acquired widespread acceptance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate microfinance's impact on the sustainable development of Malaysia’s rural micro-enterprises. Besides, digital finance is integrated into the conceptual model to further investigate their mediating impact. Data was collected from 563 rural micro-enterprises using structured questionnaires, which were then statistically analyzed using AMOS-21. The findings of the study reveal that microfinance has a positive substantial influence on rural micro-enterprises development. Moreover, digital finance partially mediates the relationship. Thus, the study concludes that microfinance institutions are needed to adopt digital finance to enhance micro enterprises’ productivity through low transaction costs. The findings of the study can be useful to policymakers in the micro-enterprise sector who have a long-term vision and expect the sector to develop steadily. The study also provides scope and space for future academics and scholars to conduct further research.

The Role of the Shareholders

This chapter explores the role of the shareholders, who have substantial influence over the company. UK company law is shareholder-centred, but it would be wrong to conclude that shareholders are the principals of the directors or of the company. Shareholders normally appoint the directors and auditors, and they have a mandatory power to remove them. The shareholders are also responsible for approving certain transactions, including share issues, takeover defences, political donations, provisions made for employees on the cessation of business, and (under the Listing Rules) certain large transactions. Taken together, these powers give the shareholders significant influence over the management of the company. The rights of shareholders are, however, also subject to constraints. These constraints operate for the benefit of minority shareholders and creditors. The chapter then examines the UK Stewardship Code, through which the government attempts to exercise pressure on institutional shareholders to refrain from requesting short-term return. It also analyses the reflective loss principle, which restricts shareholders in pursuing damages claims against third parties in circumstances where the company has a competing claim.

Bio-Design Intelligence

Architecture has a substantial influence worldwide as it shapes our cities, and it is made to last. Urban areas are also responsible for 70% of the world's carbon emissions. Consequently, architects are responsible for minimising the destructive effects of construction on the environment. How can biological intelligence be inserted in architecture as a possibility to increase environmental performance? Bio-design goes further than biology-inspired approaches. Bio-design refers to incorporating living organisms as an essential component of a system, changing the natural and built environment boundaries. It contains living and machine intelligence, whether embedded in the design process or in the building itself. This paper seeks to give an overview of bio-design and how it can be seen as a strategy of thinking of new research pathways.

An Effective Prediction on COVID-19 Prevalence for India and Japan using Fbprophet Model

Coronavirus has become a significant concern for the whole world. It has had a substantial influence on our social and economic life. The infection rate is rapidly increasing at every moment throughout the world. At present, predicting coronavirus has become one of the challenging issues for us. As the pace of COVID-19 detection increases, so does the death rate. This research predicts the number of coronavirus detection and deaths using Fbprophet, a tool designed to assist in performing time series forecasting at a large scale. Two major affected countries, India and Japan, have been taken into consideration in our approach. Using the prophet model, a prediction is performed on the number of total cases, new cases, total deaths and new deaths. This model works considerably well, and it has given a satisfactory result that may help the authority in taking early and appropriate decisions depending on the predicted COVID situation.

Internality and the internalisation of failure: Evidence from a novel task

A critical facet of adjusting one’s behaviour after succeeding or failing at a task is assigning responsibility for the ultimate outcome. Humans have trait- and state-like tendencies to implicate aspects of their own behaviour (called ‘internal’ ascriptions) or facets of the particular task or Lady Luck (’chance’). However, how these tendencies interact with actual performance is unclear. We designed a novel task in which subjects had to learn the likelihood of achieving their goals, and the extent to which this depended on their efforts. High internality (Levenson I-score) was associated with decision making patterns that are less vulnerable to failure. Our computational analyses suggested that this depended heavily on the adjustment in the perceived achievability of riskier goals following failure. We found beliefs about chance not to be explanatory of choice behaviour in our task. Beliefs about powerful others were strong predictors of behaviour, but only when subjects lacked substantial influence over the outcome. Our results provide an evidentiary basis for heuristics and learning differences that underlie the formation and maintenance of control expectations by the self.

The Thermal Performance of Chinese Vernacular Skywell Dwellings

The aim of this research was to investigate the thermal performance of Chinese vernacular skywell dwellings. This was done by the analysis of on-site measurements of the environmental performance and computer simulation of solar conditions of eight vernacular skywell dwellings in three villages in southeastern China—Xidi, Zhifeng, and Yuyuan. Through the discussion of several heat inputs and outputs, it can be concluded that evaporative cooling had a substantial influence on the temperature in the skywells of dwellings in Xidi and Zhifeng villages. In addition to the buffering of temperature by thermal mass, evaporative cooling was found to further reduce the fluctuation in temperature inside the skywell and is likely to have been the main reason that the mean dry bulb temperatures inside the skywells in these villages were lower than the mean external dry bulb temperatures. Moreover, the construction materials of Chinese vernacular dwellings (skywell wall, floor material, wooden column, and panels) are likely to be hygroscopic.