Crop Revenue and Yield Insurance Demand: A Subjective Probability Approach

A multinomial logit is utilized to model the choice of whether to purchase yield or revenue insurance using subjectively elicited survey data. Our results indicate that the demand for crop insurance is inelastic (-0.40), consistent with most earlier yield elasticity estimates, but the elasticity for choices between yield and revenue insurance is found to be relatively more elastic (-0.88).crop insurance, elasticities, multinomial logit model, revenue demand, subjective elicitation, survey, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Q18,

A Theoretical Approach to Optimize the Pipeline Data Communication in Oil and Gas Remote Locations Using Sky X Technology

Oil, gas, and water distribution networks in remote locations require optimized data transmission from their sources to prevent or detect leakage or improve production flow in their manufacturing units. Remote oil and gas installations frequently encounter substantial obstacles in terms of data connectivity and transfer. Slow data transmission rates, data loss, and decision-making delays can all be caused by a lack of dependable network infrastructure, restricted bandwidth, and severe climatic conditions. The purpose of this research work is to identify critical concerns concerning data communication and data transfer in oil and gas distant areas and to investigate feasible approaches to these challenges. The survey was carried out to gather feedback from oil and gas experts on issues concerning data transmission in remote locations. This study provides a theoretical approach to optimizing data transmission and communication in remote areas using Sky X technology. This study presents a new theoretical method that improves the performance of IP over satellite using the critical aspects of data transmission issues from experts. This technology's contribution can improve the reliability of all users on a satellite network by delivering all features with a successful data transfer rate discreetly. This attempt may also aid oil and gas companies in optimizing data transmission/communication in remote regions

The radical character of the acenes: A density matrix renormalization group study

We present a detailed investigation of the acene series using high-level wavefunction theory. Our ab-initio Density Matrix Renormalization Group algorithm has enabled us to carry out Complete Active Space calculations on the acenes from napthalene to dodecacene correlating the full pi-valence space. While we find that the ground-state is a singlet for all chain-lengths, examination of several measures of radical character, including the natural orbitals, effective number of unpaired electrons, and various correlation functions, suggests that the longer acene ground-states are polyradical in nature.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, supplementary material, to be published in J. Chem. Phys. 127, 200

Quality assurance and evaluation (QAE) in Scotland: promoting self-evaluation within and beyond the country

This article looks at policy for quality assurance and evaluation in Scotland, its history and more recent developments, and in particular, at the emphasis on school self-evaluation. It examines the history of the concept, its constituent elements and the role of the Inspectorate in establishing it. Further, the article discusses the Scottish self-evaluation model as a means of promoting the country’s distinctive identity in education within a European frame. It discusses the role of the Standing International Conference of Inspectorates as a major forum for the transmission of ideas about self-evaluation that illuminates the role of networks in promoting Europeanisation

Platelets as drivers of ischemia/reperfusion injury after stroke.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and, despite reperfusion either via thrombolysis or thrombectomy, stroke patients often suffer from lifelong disabilities. These persistent neurological deficits may be improved by treating the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury that occurs following ischemic stroke. There are currently no approved therapies to treat I/R injury, and thus it is imperative to find new targets to decrease the burden of ischemic stroke and related diseases. Platelets, cell fragments from megakaryocytes, are primarily known for their role in hemostasis. More recently, investigators have studied the nonhemostatic role of platelets in inflammatory pathologies, such as I/R injury after ischemic stroke. In this review, we seek to provide an overview of how I/R can lead to platelet activation and how activated platelets, in turn, can exacerbate I/R injury after stroke. We will also discuss potential mechanisms by which platelets may ameliorate I/R injury

Evidence of large recoil velocity from a black hole merger signal

The final black hole left behind after a binary black hole merger can attain a recoil velocity, or a "kick", reaching values up to 5000 km/s. This phenomenon has important implications for gravitational wave astronomy, black hole formation scenarios, testing general relativity, and galaxy evolution. We consider the gravitational wave signal from the binary black hole merger GW200129_065458 (henceforth referred to as GW200129), which has been shown to exhibit strong evidence of orbital precession. Using numerical relativity surrogate models, we constrain the kick velocity of GW200129 to $v_f \sim 1542^{+747}_{-1098}$ km/s or $v_f \gtrsim 698$ km/s (one-sided limit), at 90\% credibility. This marks the first identification of a large kick velocity for an individual gravitational wave event. Given the kick velocity of GW200129, we estimate that there is a less than $0.48\%$ ($7.7\%$) probability that the remnant black hole after the merger would be retained by globular (nuclear star) clusters. Finally, we show that kick effects are not expected to cause biases in ringdown tests of general relativity for this event, although this may change in the future with improved detectors

Isolation of microcrystalline cellulose from wood and fabrication of polylacticacid (PLA) based green biocomposites

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/An innovative microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) natural fibre powder-reinforced PLA biocomposite was investigated using the hand lay-up technique. The polymer matrix composite (PMC) samples were prepared by varying the weight percentages (wt.%) of both PLA matrix and MCC reinforcement: pure PLA/100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50 wt.%, respectively. From the results obtained, MCC powder, with its impressive aspect ratio, proved to be an ideal reinforcement for the PLA, exhibiting exceptional mechanical properties. It was evident that the 80:20 wt.% biocomposite sample exhibited the maximum improvement in the tensile, flexural, notched impact, compressive strength and hardness by 28.85%, 20.00%, 91.66%, 21.53% and 35.82%, respectively compared to the pure PLA sample. Similarly, during the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the same 80:20 wt.% biocomposite sample showed a minimum weight loss of 20% at 400°C, among others. The morphological study using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed that the uniform distribution of cellulose reinforcement in the PLA matrix actively improved the mechanical properties of the biocomposites, especially theoptimal 80:20 wt.% sample. Importantly, it was evident that the optimal PLA/cellulose biocomposite sample could be a suitable and alternative sustainable, environmentally friendly and biodegradable material for semi/structural applications, replacing synthetic and traditional components.Peer reviewe

Gender Parity in Authorship of Published Randomized Clinical Trials in Stroke Neurology From 2000 to 2021.

Gender parity is a crucial goal in clinical medicine so that women have equal access and representation. Although approximately half (46%) of US neurology residents and fellows are female, proportions of female assistant, associate, and full professors are 49%, 41%, and 23%, respectively. This has far-reaching effects, from clinical publications to invited speakerships.Although a study noted increasing trends in female authorship in high-impact neurology journals the current literature lacks evidence on a more informative benchmark—first and last authorship in randomized clinical trials (RCTs), which is typically considered for career advancement. This study assessed annual proportions and trends of female first and last authorship in neurovascular (stroke) RCTs from 2000 to 2021