Estimating rainfall distributions at high temporal resolutions using a multifractal model

International audienceRainfall data from 18 stations in the vicinity of Tokyo city, measured to a precision of 1 mm, were analysed for multifractal properties. A multifractal model based on the scaling properties of temporal distribution of rainfall intensities was formulated to investigate the intensity distribution relationships in the available scaling regime. Although conventional analysis did not provide encouraging results with these measurements, an alternative approach that could be applied to rainfall data of widely variable quality and duration was used to establish a scaling relationship between daily and hourly rainfall intensities. Using a discrete cascade algorithm based on the log-Lèvy generator, synthetic hourly rainfall series were generated from the multifractal statistics of daily-accumulated rainfall. Several properties of rainfall time series that are relevant to the use of rainfall data in surface hydrological studies were used to determine, statistically, the degree of agreement between the synthetic hourly series and observed hourly rainfall. Keywords: rainfall modelling, cascades, multifractal, downscalin

An improved ECU for extending the lifespan of fuel injectors.

The research paper presents the outcomes of an improved Electronic Control Unit (ECU) designed for automobiles equipped with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI). The primary objective was to find a sustainable solution for various issues caused by decayed Petrol fuel injectors recommended to be replaced, but not done due to reasonable justifications. The issues include emissions produced by improper fuel combustion, wastage of fuel and possible damage to engine since incomplete combustion leave residual matter inside the engine's combustion chamber. The ideology is to control the excess fuel released by decayed fuel injectors by modifying the control instructions produced by the ECU. Experimental results have proven that employment of the improved ECU could reduce the emissions up to 84.9 % with an average of 75.8% and most excitingly, the improved ECU is capable to renounce the fuel wastage caused by decayed injectors by a percentage over 70 %

EXTRACTING VEGETATION INFORMATION FROM SATELLITE DATA FOR THE NILWALA CATCHMENT AREA, SOURTHERN SRI LANKA

It is evident that increasing human activities on forest resources can lead to floods, soilerision, loss of bio diversity, and increase in atmospheric gases causing global warming,Sustainable management of forest resources requires accurate data on the current status ofthe environment as well as tools to support the decision making process, Remote Sensingand Geographical Information Systems have increasingly been used as decision supporttools, Particulaly, recent advancements in satclitc remote sensing have facilitatedacquiring valuable data and information in assessing the current status of thc environmentat varying levels of detail. Thc purpose of this study is to assess the potential of satclitcremote sensing in vegetation mapping of the Nilwala catchment area of Southernn SriLanka, The paper presents thc preliminary work amid at extracting vegctation informationfrom Landsat TM and ETM data, The maps produced applying image processingtechniques such as image differencing, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NIJVI),ISOCLUSS unsupervised classification and Tasseled Cap Transformation show the extent,quality and change of vegetation in the catchment area, Information derived from satellitedata can further be used in modeling erosion potential in agricultural areas, mapping theflood risk, and land cover and land use change analysis when combine with geographicalinformation

Analysis of Customer Satisfaction and Prices of Finger Jointed Wood Products

Wood is the most valuable and versatile natural raw material which use to fulfill timber requirements of people. State Timber Corporation is the prioritise leader which introduced various innovative concepts and products to public on utilisation timber in sustainable manner. Finger joint (FJ) technique is one of the most sustainable, eco-friendly and economically valuable innovative concepts for Sri Lankan furniture industry. In this technology small timber pieces which removed as waste are jointed together using glued finger joint cut and make new products. By evaluating the risk and benefits of FJ technology it will be essential to do a survey on economic values in FJ furniture. The main objective of the study is to analyse the cost and price difference of the product and consumer preference between FJ furniture and normal furniture. The two furniture items were selected which were made from finger jointed wood (STC B-FJ 0019) and normal wood (STC B-132). Both items have same design, same measurements, same material used and but different type (finger joint and Normal. A predefined questionnaire was distributed among randomly selected 50 customers who visited State Timber Corporation showrooms to measure the awareness and satisfaction on FJ furniture. People have low awareness but high satisfaction about FJ products. Customers were satisfied with price and attractiveness of FJ products and were not satisfied with strength, trust, durability and availability. FJ products were cost effective and benefited for the waste reduction in factories. Due to the finishing labour cost, unit production cost of FJ of (Rs.171.91 ft2) was higher than normal (Rs.147.88 ft2). Although it shows high cost for customers the uniqueness, attractiveness and high demand of FJ products benefited on customers and increase economical background of producers too. FJ technology is good profitable business in furniture production sector of timber industry.Keywords: Finger joint cost, Risks, Benefits, State Timber Corporatio

Economic Factors and Physical Properties of Finger Joint Timber Product to Promote Effective Utilization of Natural Resources

Finger joint (FJ) is one of the most sustainable, eco-friendly and economically valuable concept. It ensures the sustainable utilization of small wood cut pieces which removed as waste. Wood pieces are jointed together using glued box comb finger joint cut. It is a new concept for Sri Lankan furniture industry. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze about economic parameters and physical properties of FJ product to ensure the sustainable utilization of FJ timber products. This study attempted to compare strength, appearance and economic variables such as prices, cost of production and profit of FJ products. Comparison of FJ product (Model: STC B-FJ 0019) with the similar size normal timber products (Model:STC B-132) was done to achieve the objective of the study. Three point bending test was done to evaluate Modulus of Elasticity, Modulus of Rupture and maximum force by using UTM. Timber cooperation laboratory was utilized to evaluate strength properties. According to the results of the statistical analysis, strength reduction for FJ products was significantly high. Strength also varied with timber species. Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus showed the highest strength properties while Teak showed the lowst value. MOE values did not show significant difference (0.224) between Jak, Kumbuk, Teak, Mahogany, Pinus, and E. grandis. Strength on vertical and horizontal FJ cuts did not show significant differences although vertical cut was slightly higher. Timber cost for FJ product showed the lowest because of small cut pieces but finishing material, labour, machinery and factory overheads costs were higher than common furniture. Unit production cost for FJ was Rs.171.91 which is higher compared to the cost of normal furniture of Rs. 147.88. FJ furniture showed the higher price most of the time. Therefore, profitability of FJ furniture was significantly higher than common furniture. The uniqueness and high demand help to increase market price and gain more income for producers. On this context FJ product can be promoted to ensure sustainable utilization of timber. Further, this subject is open for further researchers.Keywords: Finger joint, Strength properties, Satisfactio

\u3ci\u3eCandida albicans ISW2 Regulates\u3c/i\u3e Chlamydospore Suspensor Cell Formation and Virulence \u3ci\u3eIn Vivo\u3c/i\u3e in a Mouse Model of Disseminated Candidiasis

Formation of chlamydospores by Candida albicans was an established medical diagnostic test to confirm candidiasis before the molecular era. However, the functional role and pathological relevance of this in vitro morphological transition to pathogenesis in vivo remain unclear. We compared the physical properties of in vitro-induced chlamydospores with those of large C. albicans cells purified by density gradient centrifugation from Candida infected mouse kidneys. The morphological and physical properties of these cells in kidneys of mice infected intravenously with wild type C. albicans confirmed that chlamydospores can form in infected kidneys. A previously reported chlamydospore-null Δisw2/ Δisw2 mutant was used to investigate its role in virulence and chlamydospore induction. Virulence of the Δisw2/Δisw2 mutant strain was reduced 3.4-fold compared to wild type C. albicans or the ISW2 reconstituted strain. Altered host inflammatory reactions to the null mutant further indicate that ISW2 is a virulence factor in C. albicans. ISW2 deletion abolished chlamydospore formation within infected mouse kidneys, whereas the reconstituted strain restored chlamydospore formation in kidneys. Under chlamydospore inducing conditions in vitro, deletion of ISW2 significantly delayed chlamydospore formation, and those late induced chlamydospores lacked associated suspensor cells while attaching laterally to hyphae via novel spore-hypha septa. Our findings establish the induction of chlamydospores by C. albicans during mouse kidney colonization. Our results indicate that ISW2 is not strictly required for chlamydospores formation but is necessary for suspensor cell formation. The importance of ISW2 in chlamydospore morphogenesis and virulence may lead to additional insights into morphological differentiation and pathogenesis of C. albicans in the host microenvironment

\u3ci\u3eCandida albicans ISW2 Regulates\u3c/i\u3e Chlamydospore Suspensor Cell Formation and Virulence \u3ci\u3eIn Vivo\u3c/i\u3e in a Mouse Model of Disseminated Candidiasis

Formation of chlamydospores by Candida albicans was an established medical diagnostic test to confirm candidiasis before the molecular era. However, the functional role and pathological relevance of this in vitro morphological transition to pathogenesis in vivo remain unclear. We compared the physical properties of in vitro-induced chlamydospores with those of large C. albicans cells purified by density gradient centrifugation from Candida infected mouse kidneys. The morphological and physical properties of these cells in kidneys of mice infected intravenously with wild type C. albicans confirmed that chlamydospores can form in infected kidneys. A previously reported chlamydospore-null Δisw2/ Δisw2 mutant was used to investigate its role in virulence and chlamydospore induction. Virulence of the Δisw2/Δisw2 mutant strain was reduced 3.4-fold compared to wild type C. albicans or the ISW2 reconstituted strain. Altered host inflammatory reactions to the null mutant further indicate that ISW2 is a virulence factor in C. albicans. ISW2 deletion abolished chlamydospore formation within infected mouse kidneys, whereas the reconstituted strain restored chlamydospore formation in kidneys. Under chlamydospore inducing conditions in vitro, deletion of ISW2 significantly delayed chlamydospore formation, and those late induced chlamydospores lacked associated suspensor cells while attaching laterally to hyphae via novel spore-hypha septa. Our findings establish the induction of chlamydospores by C. albicans during mouse kidney colonization. Our results indicate that ISW2 is not strictly required for chlamydospores formation but is necessary for suspensor cell formation. The importance of ISW2 in chlamydospore morphogenesis and virulence may lead to additional insights into morphological differentiation and pathogenesis of C. albicans in the host microenvironment

A Study on the Exposure to E-Learning during COVID-19: Special Reference to Management Undergraduates of Non-State Universities

Education is a goal of every human being in this modern era. The remarkable growth in information technology and the internet over the past few years has propelled the need for the application of e-learning among the educational sectors. Due to the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lankan educational institutes were forced to transform to e-learning. Hence, it is essential to have a strong awareness on the engagement of students in this e-learning. The purpose of this study is to examine the level of exposure to e-learning with special reference to the management undergraduates of non-state universities in Sri Lanka. This study is a quantitative research study and is based on a deductive research approach. For data collection, researchers used a questionnaire based on a convenience sampling process. A sample of 332 students was considered from a total population of 2500 students including 3rd and 4th year management undergraduates from two non-state universities. The collected data were analysed using one sample t-test analysis and descriptive analysis using the Statistical Package for Service Solutions. The researchers used one sample t-test to predict the students' level of exposure to e-learning based on the mean value of e-learning. The results show that students had a high level of exposure to e-learning with a value of 3.92. In addition, it revealed that system quality, instructors’ quality, digital readiness and learners’ attitude are highly influential towards the students’ level of exposure to e-learning. Furthermore, descriptive analysis revealed that the average GPA achieved by undergraduates utilising e-learning is higher than by traditional learning with an average score of 3.35. The findings of this study can serve as a guideline for higher educational institutions in developing appropriate initiatives to uplift the e-learning exposure. The main limitation of the study was that only management undergraduates were taken into consideration. As a result, future researchers should focus their efforts on different faculty studies separately to explore the level of e-learning exposure in each one of them. Keywords: COVID-19, E-Learning, Exposure, GPA, Undergraduate

Small–footprint LiDAR Estimation of Structural Properties of Woody Plant Communities in Complex Terrain, North-eastern Australia

LiDAR remote sensing can be considered a key instrument for studies related to quantifyingthe vegetation structure. We utilised LiDAR metrics to estimate plot-scale structuralparameters of subtropical rainforest and eucalyptus dominated open forest in topographicallydissected landscape, in North-eastern Australia. This study is considered an extremeapplication of LiDAR technology for structurally complex subtropical forests in complexterrain. Thirty-one LiDAR metrics of vegetation functional parameters were examined.Multiple linear regression models were able to explain 62% of the variability associated withbasal area, 66% for mean dbh, 61% for dominant height and 60% for foliage projective coverin subtropical rainforest. In contrast, mean height (adjusted R2 = 0.90) and dominant height(adjusted R2 = 0.81) were predicted with highest accuracy in the eucalyptus dominated opencanopy forest. Nevertheless, the magnitude of error for predicting structural parameters ofvegetation was much higher in subtropical rainforest than those documented in the literature.Our findings reinforced that obtaining accurate LiDAR estimates of vegetation structure is afunction of the complexity of horizontal and vertical structural diversity of vegetation