Non-linear model error and resolution properties from two-dimensional single and joint inversions of direct current resistivity and radiomagnetotelluric data

For the first time, a comparative analysis of the resolution and variance properties of 2-D models of electrical resistivity derived from single and joint inversions of dc resistivity (DCR) and radiomagnetotelluric (RMT) measurements is presented. DCR and RMT data are inverted with a smoothness-constrained 2-D scheme. Model resolution, model variance and data resolution analyses are performed both with a classical linearized scheme that employs the smoothness-constrained generalized inverse and a non-linear truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD). In the latter method, the model regularization used in the inversion is avoided and non-linear semi-axes give an approximate description of the non-linear confidence surface in the directions of the model eigenvectors. Hence, this method analyses the constraints that can be provided by the data. Model error estimates are checked against improved and independent estimates of model variability from most-squares inversions. For single and joint inverse models of synthetic data sets, the smoothness-constrained scheme suggests relatively small model errors (typically up to 30 to 40 per cent) and resolving kernels that are spread over several cells in the vicinity of the investigated cell. Linearized smoothness-constrained errors are in good agreement with the corresponding most-squares errors. The variability of the RMT model as estimated from non-linear semi-axes is confirmed by TSVD-based most-squares inversions for most model cells within the depth range of investigation. In contrast to this, most-squares errors of the DCR model are consistently larger than errors estimated from non-linear semi-axes except for the smallest truncation levels. The model analyses confirm previous studies that DCR data can constrain resistive and conductive structures equally well while RMT data provide superior constraints for conductive structures. The joint inversion can improve error and resolution of structures which are within the depth ranges of exploration of both methods. In such parts of the model which are outside the depth range of exploration for one method, error and resolution of the joint inverse model are close to those of the best single inversion result subject to an appropriate weighting of the different data set

Study on heavy metals levels and its risk assessment in edible fish (Himantura imbricate) from Persian Gulf

Heavy metals are contaminants of great environmental concern due to their multiple origins (natural and anthropogenic), the ability to accumulate in organs and tissues, and the deleterious effects they can cause in organisms. Studies on the accumulation of metals in seafood, such as fish, have increased in importance due to the risk for human health when consuming fish contaminated by metals. The present work was aimed at verifying the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) in the muscular tissue of Himantura imbricate (from the Persian Gulf in Hormozgan province, Iran. Samples were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. There were significant variations among heavy metal accumulation levels of the species and their regions. The heavy metal concentrations found in regions varied for Cd: 0.14, Ni: 0.33, Pb: 0.02 in Qeshm and Cd: 0.25, Ni: 0.48, Pb: 0.03, µg/g in Suoroo. The heavy metal concentrations of fish in Qeshm were lower than those of fish from Suoroo regions. This research showed that heavy metal concentrations in muscle of investigated specie were also lower than the maximum levels set by law

Enhancing Business Performance of Sahid Montana Hotel Malang in Tourism Program

Sahid montana is a 5 star hotel located in Malang. The hotel has a herritage-themed design, which makes Sahid hotel has its own advantages from other hotels. Sahid Montana wants his hotel to be known Internationally. The idea for Sahid Montana if want go International are to create an attractive package for the tourists so will be interested and create activities such as learning traditional dance and learning to make batik. Sahid Montana does not have a target country because Sahid Montana wants all customers from all the countries can stay at Sahid Hotel. If want to succeed until the International level it will require some strategies in doing promotions such as creating websites and join some events in Festival Beautiful Indonesia in abroad

Corporate reporting and disclosures in the emerging capital market of Kuwait:the perceptions of users and preparers

The objective of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of users and preparers regarding financial disclosure practices in annual reports of Kuwaiti listed firms. To measure participants' views, a questionnaire survey was distributed in Kuwait between October and December 2012, to preparers (financial managers) and users (financial analysts) within Kuwaiti listed companies. The study compares between the perceptions of financial managers and financial analysts regarding disclosing information in corporate annual reports as well as the main obstacles facing the disclosure process and what the problems restricting the use of companies' annual reports. The study also seeks to investigate whether there is a perceived need for improving the usefulness of Kuwaiti companies' annual reports for decision-making. The results, based on 137 responses, indicate that accounting practices in Kuwaiti firms are firmly rooted in a decision-usefulness tradition with management and the board of directors viewed as the key audience for reporting information. Indeed, the annual reports of Kuwaiti listed companies are perceived as the most important sources of information. On the whole both users and preparers shared similar concerns regarding the volume of information contained within annual reports; however, their views differed in terms of identifying potential solutions. The results of the study are likely to have implications for decision makers, the academic community and accounting standard setters. 2018 Macmillan Publishers Ltd., part of Springer Nature

A miniaturised autonomous sensor based on nanowire materials platform: the SiNAPS mote

A micro-power energy harvesting system based on core(crystalline Si)-shell(amorphous Si) nanowire solar cells together with a nanowire-modified CMOS sensing platform have been developed to be used in a dust-sized autonomous chemical sensor node. The mote (SiNAPS) is augmented by low-power electronics for power management and sensor interfacing, on a chip area of 0.25mm2. Direct charging of the target battery (e.g., NiMH microbattery) is achieved with end-to-end efficiencies up to 90% at AM1.5 illumination and 80% under 100 times reduced intensity. This requires matching the voltages of the photovoltaic module and the battery circumventing maximum power point tracking. Single solar cells show efficiencies up to 10% under AM1.5 illumination and open circuit voltages, Voc, of 450-500mV. To match the battery’s voltage the miniaturised solar cells (~1mm2 area) are connected in series via wire bonding. The chemical sensor platform (mm2 area) is set up to detect hydrogen gas concentration in the low ppm range and over a broad temperature range using a low power sensing interface circuit. Using Telran TZ1053 radio to send one sample measurement of both temperature and H2 concentration every 15 seconds, the average and active power consumption for the SiNAPS mote are less than 350nW and 2.1 μW respectively. Low-power miniaturised chemical sensors of liquid analytes through microfluidic delivery to silicon nanowires are also presented. These components demonstrate the potential of further miniaturization and application of sensor nodes beyond the typical physical sensors, and are enabled by the nanowire materials platform

Modeling biological rhythms in failure time data

BACKGROUND: The human body exhibits a variety of biological rhythms. There are patterns that correspond, among others, to the daily wake/sleep cycle, a yearly seasonal cycle and, in women, the menstrual cycle. Sine/cosine functions are often used to model biological patterns for continuous data, but this model is not appropriate for analysis of biological rhythms in failure time data. METHODS: We adapt the cosinor method to the proportional hazards model and present a method to provide an estimate and confidence interval of the time when the minimum hazard is achieved. We then apply this model to data taken from a clinical trial of adjuvant of pre-menopausal breast cancer patients. RESULTS: The application of this technique to the breast cancer data revealed that the optimal day for pre-resection incisional or excisional biopsy of 28-day cycle (i. e. the day associated with the lowest recurrence rate) is day 8 with 95% confidence interval of 4–12 days. We found that older age, fewer positive nodes, smaller tumor size, and experimental treatment were predictive of longer relapse-free survival. CONCLUSION: In this paper we have described a method for modeling failure time data with an underlying biological rhythm. The advantage of adapting a cosinor model to proportional hazards model is its ability to model right censored data. We have presented a method to provide an estimate and confidence interval of the day in the menstrual cycle where the minimum hazard is achieved. This method is not limited to breast cancer data, and may be applied to any biological rhythms linked to right censored data

Ichthyofauna in Rice Agroecosystem at Seberang Perai Tengah, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia with notes on the introduced species

Twenty six species of fishes from 14 families were recorded from various habitats including river, concrete canals, earth ditches and storm drains in the rice field, following three different stages of paddy planting for two seasons of rice cultivation at Seberang Perai Tengah, Penang. Cyprinidae was the most dominant family recorded, that contributed the highest number of species in this study, followed by Osphronemidae, Clariidae and Bagridae. The most abundant families with high number of individuals collected were from Cyprinidae, Aplocheilidae and Anabantidae. There were seven introduced species recorded and two of them are considered as an invasive species namely Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus. The emergence numbers of invasive species can threaten the native species population in the rice field and lead to the local extinction

Consumer trust and confidence in the compliance of Islamic banks

Islamic banks compete with traditional (non-Islamic) banks for customers. This article aims to provide insight into why some Muslims choose to bank with Islamic banks in Pakistan, while others do not. Specifically, it addresses the questions: to what extent are trust and confidence active influencers in the decision-making process, are they differentiated or are they one of the same? Also how does the Pakistani collective cultural context further complicate the application of these concepts? For the purposes of this article trust refers to people and their interpersonal or social relations whereas confidence concerns institutions such as banks. Drawing on interviews with Muslim consumers in Pakistan, this study provides further insight into consumer behaviour within financial services and specifically Islamic banking and contributes to our theoretical understanding of the concepts of trust and confidence

The Effect of Salt Stress on The Growth of Maize

The experiment was carried out in the laboratory of the Department of Crops - faculty of Agriculture - Omar Al-Mukhtar University for 2022y, to study the effect of salt stress on the growth characteristics of the triple hybrid 253 of Zea maize crop, using a completely random design. The treatments included (0, 25, 50, and 75 mM) of NaCl by three replicates. 10 seeds were placed in each Petri dish. Measurements were taken for the growth stage of each treatment. the Results found that increasing the concentration of NaCl led to a decrease in wet-dry weight, and radical length. However, was found that there was an increase of these traits at a concentration of 50 mM compared to a concentration of 25 mM, and the growth traits decreased at a concentration of 75 mM. As well as an increase in sodium chloride concentration led to a decrease in the germination rate, germination speed, germination strength index, and plumule wet weight, The highest values were at a concentration of 0.0 mM and the lowest at a concentration of 75 mM. The decrease reached a significant degree for each of the plumule lengths and the dry weights of plumule. The highest values were at a concentration of 0.0mM and the lowest was at a concentration of 75 mM

Introductory programming: a systematic literature review

As computing becomes a mainstream discipline embedded in the school curriculum and acts as an enabler for an increasing range of academic disciplines in higher education, the literature on introductory programming is growing. Although there have been several reviews that focus on specific aspects of introductory programming, there has been no broad overview of the literature exploring recent trends across the breadth of introductory programming. This paper is the report of an ITiCSE working group that conducted a systematic review in order to gain an overview of the introductory programming literature. Partitioning the literature into papers addressing the student, teaching, the curriculum, and assessment, we explore trends, highlight advances in knowledge over the past 15 years, and indicate possible directions for future research