A stochastic analysis of goods allocation by queuing and the prevention of violence

When demand for a good exceeds its supply, queuing mechanisms are commonly used to allocate the good in question to citizens. However, very long queues result in excessive wait times and this can lead to violence. As such, the purpose of this paper is to analyze two stochastic models of goods allocation with queuing and the possibility of violence. In the first model, there is no capacity constraint. Using this model, we compute the long run delay per citizen in allocating the pertinent good. Next, we discuss the computation of the equilibrium probabilities for our discrete-time Markov chain theoretic model. In the second model, we capture the violence aspect of the underlying story explicitly with a capacity constraint. Then, we compute the long run fraction of citizens who are not provided the relevant good and the long run fraction of time the good allocating public official is busy.Capacity Constraint, Goods Allocation, Queuing Mechanism, Scarcity, Violence

Combined Toxicity and Bioconcentration of Fluoride and Arsenic in African Catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Laboratory experiments were performed to examine the combined toxic effects of two important aquatic contaminants viz., arsenic and fluoride on African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. Additionally, the bio concentration factors (BCFs) of the two contaminants in tissues and blood of catfish were also determined. The LC50 for sodium fluoride and arsenic trioxide were determined to be 619.3 mg L-1, 30.3 mg L-1, respectively. Erratic swimming movements with hyperactivity, loss of equilibrium, augmented air gulping and decreased food consumption were observed in the experimental groups. In co-exposure groups of arsenic and fluoride, the concentration of fluoride in fish tissues increased with increasing water fluoride concentration in the test aquaria with significant differences (

Thermolectric Materials Based on Intercalated Layered Metallic Systems

A novel thermoelectric material in the form of a unit cell including a first reagent intercalated as a semiconducting layer into a metallic layered host and a method for producing the thermoelectric material are disclosed. The unit cell is characterized by a Seebeck coefficient S of 80-140 μV/K° and an electrical conductivity σ of 103 -104 (Ωcm)-1, as well as a figure of merit Z of about 2×10-3 K-1 at 100° K

Metallic Nanoscale Fibers from Stable Iodine-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

A method of doping involves soaking single-walled carbon nanotubes in molten iodine. Excess physisorbed iodine may then be removed by annealing

GC-155 - Runbook Automation

Runbook is common terminology used in every IT organization which is maintained in Excel for taking the components to production in a particular time frame after making an agreement with the business for the downtime of systems (Freeze Period). Runbook Automation is a web application for delivering and tracking deliverables to production. It acts as an interface between Infrastructure teams responsible for deployments and runbook coordinator, development teams, and Business Analysts. The application consists of a home page consisting of a Dashboard where the user can edit the profile, and other employee tracking details and timesheets. In Employee tracking, the details of the employees and their backgrounds are displayed. In Timesheets, the hours of the project and the runbook actions are displayed. In Access Management, different users are allowed to request access to perform daily activities. In Employee Performance, the feedback and achievements of the employer are shown. The Objective of the application is to develop a web application using various technologies to bring all the stakeholders to a common page about the project execution and make them aware of top management activities ongoing in the organization. The Application will have an interface to tools for updating the status of Jobs in the application. The idea of the application will be provided to the project owner for approval before design and development. The scope of the project will include planning, design, development, testing, and documentation.stratosphere to provide wide coverage and strong computational capabilities. It is suitable to coordinate terrestrial resources and store the fundamental data associated with ITS-based applications. Performing task offloading and data caching at Roadside Units (RSUs) in a cooperative manner can reduce the heavy backhaul load and the retransmission of content downloading

Policymaking ‘under the radar': a case study of pesticide regulation to prevent intentional poisoning in Sri Lanka

Background Suicide in Sri Lanka is a major public health problem and in 1995 the country had one of the highest rates of suicide worldwide. Since then reductions in overall suicide rates have been largely attributed to efforts to regulate a range of pesticides. The evolution, context, events and implementation of the key policy decisions around regulation are examined. Methods This study was undertaken as part of a broader analysis of policy in two parts—an explanatory case study and stakeholder analysis. This article describes the explanatory case study that included an historical narrative and in-depth interviews. Results A timeline and chronology of policy actions and influence were derived from interview and document data. Fourteen key informants were interviewed and four distinct policy phases were identified. The early stages of pesticide regulation were dominated by political and economic considerations and strongly influenced by external factors. The second phase was marked by a period of local institution building, the engagement of local stakeholders, and expanded links between health and agriculture. During the third phase the problem of self-poisoning dominated the policy agenda and closer links between stakeholders, evidence and policymaking developed. The fourth and most recent phase was characterized by strong local capacity for policymaking, informed by evidence, developed in collaboration with a powerful network of stakeholders, including international researchers. Conclusions The policy response to extremely high rates of suicide from intentional poisoning with pesticides shows a unique and successful example of policymaking to prevent suicide. It also highlights policy action taking place ‘under the radar', thus avoiding policy inertia often associated with reforms in lower and middle income countrie

Factors associated with social participation amongst elders in rural Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional mixed methods analysis

Background: Populations of low and middle-income countries are ageing rapidly; there is a need for policies that support an increase in the duration of old age lived in good health. There is growing evidence that social participation protects against morbidity and mortality, but few studies explore patterns of social participation. Analysis of baseline quantitative and qualitative data from a trial of the impact of Elders’ Clubs on health and wellbeing in the hill country of Sri Lanka provided an opportunity to better understand the extent of, and influences on, social participation among elders. Methods: We analysed data from 1028 baseline survey respondents and from 12 focus group discussions. Participants were consenting elders, aged over 60 years, living in Tamil tea plantation communities or Sinhala villages in 40 randomly selected local government divisions. We assessed participation in organised social activities using self-reported attendance during the previous year. Multivariable regression analyses were used to explore associations with community and individual factors. The quantitative findings were complemented by thematic analysis of focus group discussion transcripts. Results: Social participation in these poor, geographically isolated communities was low: 63% reported ‘no’ or ‘very low’ engagement with organised activities. Plantation community elders reported significantly less participation than village elders. Attendance at religious activities was common and valued. Individual factors with significant positive association with social participation in multivariable analyses were being younger, male, Sinhala, married, employed, and satisfied with one’s health. Domestic work and cultural constraints often prevented older women from attending organised activities. Conclusions: Elders likely to benefit most from greater social contact are those most likely to face barriers, including older women, the oldest old, those living alone and those in poor health. Understanding these barriers can inform strategies to overcome them. This might include opportunities for both informal and formal social contact close to elders’ homes, consulting elders, providing childcare, improving physical access, advocating with elders’ families and religious leaders, and encouraging mutual support and inter-generational activities. Influences on social participation are interrelated and vary with the history, culture and community environment. Further study is required in other low and middle-income country contexts

A study of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and the fetal outcome in a tertiary care hospital: a prospective study

Background: Pregnancy induced hypertension is one of the major causes of feto maternal morbidity and mortality in pregnancy. The exact cause of PIH is unknown certain factors are known to increase the risk of PIH such as risk factor includes that young women with first pregnancy.Methods: The objective of this study was to assess the socio-demographic and clinico-pathological profile of the patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and its associated fetal outcomes. A prospective study was conducted in department of obstetrics and gynecology Shri B. M. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, BLDE (Deemed to be University), Vijayapura Karnataka from 15th July to 15th December 2018. All women admitted to labour ward with diagnosis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were included in the study after ruling out the exclusion criteria and thorough history, examination and laboratory evaluation were done and followed till delivery.Results: A total of 123 pregnant women with hypertensive disorder of pregnancy were enrolled in the study. Most of the participants were in the age group of 20 to 30 years. The PIH was seen mostly in primigravida, lower socioeconomic status and with lower educational levels. Emergency LSCS is the most common mode of delivery.Conclusions: The hypertensive disorder in pregnancy affects the majorly younger age group. It is most commonly seen in low socio-economic and uneducated population. Hence, there should be provided with proper antenatal care, early detection of hypertensive disorders for better feto-maternal outcome

Board 317: Improving Undergraduate STEM Writing: A Collaboration Between Instructors and Writing Center Directors to Improve Peer-Writing Tutor Feedback

Undergraduate STEM writing skills, especially in engineering fields, need improvement. Yet students in engineering fields often do not value writing skills and underestimate the amount of writing they will do in their careers. University writing centers can be a helpful resource, but peer writing tutors need to be prepared for the differences between writing for the humanities and writing in STEM fields. The Writing Assignment Tutor Training in STEM (WATTS) model is designed to improve tutor confidence and student writing. In this innovative training, the writing center supervisor collaborates with the STEM instructor to create a one-hour tutor-training where the tutors learn about the assignment content, vocabulary, and expectations. This multidisciplinary collaborative project builds on previous investigative work to determine the impact of WATTS on students, tutors, and faculty and to identify its mitigating and moderating effects. Data has been collected and analyzed from pre- and post- training surveys, interviews, and focus groups. In addition, the project studies WATTS effects on student writing pre- and post-tutoring. The team will use these results to develop a replicable, sustainable model for future expansion to other institutions and fields. By systematically collecting data and testing WATTS, the investigators will be able to identify its mitigating and moderating effects on different stakeholders and contribute valuable knowledge to STEM fields. This approach assesses the elements of the model that have the most impact and the extent to which WATTS can be used to increase collaboration between engineering instructors and writing centers. The project enables the investigators to expand WATTS to additional engineering courses, test key factors with more instructors, refine the process, and position WATTS for dissemination to a broad audience. As the cost of higher education rises, institutions are pressured to graduate students in four years and engineering curricula are becoming more complex. WATTS presents an economical, effective method to improve student writing in the discipline. Several factors indicate that it has the potential for broad dissemination and impact and will provide a foundation for a sustainable model for future work, as instructors become trainers for their colleagues, allowing additional ongoing expansion and implementation. WATTS serves as a model for institutions (large or small) to capitalize on existing infrastructure and resources to achieve large-scale improvements to undergraduate STEM writing while increasing interdisciplinary collaboration and institutional support