Strike Rate Research Articles

Enraizamento de estacas de Tibouchina moricandiana var. vinacea em função da forma de aplicação e concentrações de AIB

Tibouchina moricandiana Baill. var. vinacea Handro is a woody shrub, native to Brazil with ornamental potential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of cutting the vegetative propagation of the species according to the application form and different concentrations of indole butyric acid (IBA). Softwood cuttings were treated with 0, 1,000 and 2,000 mg kg-1/mg L-1 of IBA in powder and solution form. After 56 days the treatments were evaluated for rooting, cuttings with callus, survival, mortality, leaf retention, new shoots, number of roots per cutting and root length. The rooting of stem cuttings of T. moricandiana was negatively influenced by the concentrations of IBA or by way of application. The species has a high strike rate (90.8%), demonstrating a species with potential for vegetative propagation through cuttings. The form of application and concentration of IBA influenced other variables. The use of 2,000 mg kg-1 IBA applied by talc demonstrated a decrease in the number of roots and provided the greatest number of and unrooted live cuttings. The length of the three longest roots per cutting was higher with the use of 1,000 mg L-1 or mg kg-1 of IBA. The use of IBA for the rooting of cuttings can be dispensed with, but can be used at a concentration of 1,000 mg-1 or mg kg-1 to increase the length and number of roots.

Considering autophagy, β-Catenin and E-Cadherin as innovative therapy aspects in AML.

Considering autophagy, β-Catenin and E-Cadherin as innovative therapy aspects in AML.

Player evaluation in Twenty20 cricket

This paper introduces a new metric for player evaluation in Twenty20 cricket. The proposed metric of expected run differential measures the proposed additional runs that a player contributes to his team when compared to a standard player. Of course, the definition of a standard player depends on their role and therefore the metric is useful for comparing players that belong to the same positional cohort. We provide methodology to investigate both career performances and current form. Our metrics do not correlate highly with conventional measures such as batting average, strike rate, bowling average, economy rate and the Reliance ICC ratings. Consequently, our analyses of individual players based on results from international competitions provide some insights that differ from widely held beliefs. We supplement our analysis of player evaluation by investigating those players who may be overpaid or underpaid in the Indian Premier League.

Central Bank Policy Impacts on the Distribution of Future Interest Rates

The century low, near-zero short-term interest rates in the USA, Euro Area, the UK and Japan after the Great Recession of 2008/2009 and the European Sovereign Debt Crisis of 2010-2013 make the non-normality and non-lognormality of short-term interest rates quite clear. To uncover the changing implicit state prices and risk-neutral densities for future short-term interest rates, we use the prices of interest rate caps and floors with various strike rates and maturities from 2 to 10 years. We show that butterfly spreads of time spreads of cap and floor prices give sensible implied risk-neutral densities and state prices that reflect key moves made by the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England. The state prices and risk-neutral densities computed are largely distribution-free, preference-free and model-free results, building from the arbitrage-based computations of state prices from option prices that were presented in Breeden and Litzenberger (1978).

Engineering thermotolerant plants: a solution to protecting crop production threatened by global warming

The effects of global warming are the environmental and social changes caused directly or indirectly by human emissions of greenhouse gases. Impacts of climate change have already been evidenced by observed glacier retreat, changes in the timing of seasonal events (e.g., earlier flowering of plants) and changes in agricultural productivity. Climate change threatens crop harvests not only by storm-, floodingand drought-caused physical damage, but also by heat stress-induced changes in physiological processes. In China alone, there are six recorded heat damages in the past 50 years, and in particular, heat stress affected 3 million hectares and reduced grain production by 5 million tons in 2003 [1]. Unlike other biotic and abiotic stresses such as pests and drought, which can be managed to certain extent by agricultural practices, air temperature on an open field is much beyond human’s control. Therefore, developing thermotolerant plants is probably the most effective choice to protect crop production under heat stress, although this issue has largely remained elusive. Fortunately, Li et al. [2] have recently identified a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) conferring heat tolerance and cloned the corresponding gene Thermo-tolerance 1 (TT1) from CG14 (Oryza glaberrima), a rice line long adapted in Africa for high temperature. This work is the first breakthrough in genetic mining of QTLs for crop thermotolerance and is of great significance for the increase in crop security threatened by global warming. The authors employed various genetic approaches to underpin the identity of the TT1 gene. Firstly, they constructed nearly isogenic lines (NILs) by introducing the TT1 locus from CG14 to a less thermotolerant Asian cultivated variety Wuyunjing (WYJ; Oryza sativa ssp. japonica) and showed that the NILs, which had the same genetic background but the TT1-carrying fragment, display striking different survival rates upon heat treatment. Secondly, by carrying out high-resolution mapping using 6,721 BC4F2 individuals, they fine-tuned the TT1 locus to a 12.69-kb region, where two ORFs are annotated. Further, they found one amino acid substitution and differential expression between NIL (CG14) and NIL (WYJ) in one ORF, and such differences extend to a broad range of O. glaberrima and O. sativa varieties, with the amino acid H99 and higher expression specific to thermotolerant O. glaberrima. Finally, they confirmed cloning of TT1 by transforming WYJ with TT1 and by knocking-down TT1 in NIL (CG14). TT1 encodes a highly conserved a2 subunit of the 26S proteasome, sharing 82 % similarity with a homologous protein from mice [3] and 70 % similarity with one from yeast [4]. It is known that the proteasome plays an important role in plant stress responses as well as in development [5, 6]. To investigate in which way the plants exploit TT1 to protect themselves against heat, the authors conducted an ubiquitylome study with NIL (CG14) and NIL (WYJ) before and after 30 h of heat treatment using immunoprecipitation coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Based on analyzing what they obtained, they proposed that TT1 protects plant cells from heat stress by removing cytotoxic proteins denatured by heat stress and balancing a series of protective responses (Fig. 1). The R99H substitution in TT1 may cause a conformational change, which in turn may lead to a change in controlling entrance of unfolded substrates into the catalytic sites, thus making TT1 more efficient in degrading denatured J. Wan (&) National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China e-mail: wanjianmin@caas.cn

A Land-Use Perspective for Birdstrike Risk Assessment: The Attraction Risk Index.

Collisions between aircraft and birds, birdstrikes, pose a serious threat to aviation safety. The occurrence of these events is influenced by land-uses in the surroundings of airports. Airports located in the same region might have different trends for birdstrike risk, due to differences in the surrounding habitats. Here we developed a quantitative tool that assesses the risk of birdstrike based on the habitats within a 13-km buffer from the airport. For this purpose, we developed Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) with binomial distribution to estimate the contribution of habitats to wildlife use of the study area, depending on season. These GLMs predictions were combined to the flight altitude of birds within the 13-km buffer, the airport traffic pattern and the severity indices associated with impacts. Our approach was developed at Venice Marco Polo International airport (VCE), located in northeast Italy and then tested at Treviso Antonio Canova International airport (TSF), which is 20 km inland. Results from the two airports revealed that both the surrounding habitats and the season had a significant influence to the pattern of risk. With regard to VCE, agricultural fields, wetlands and urban areas contributed most to the presence of birds in the study area. Furthermore, the key role of distance of land-uses from the airport on the probability of presence of birds was highlighted. The reliability of developed risk index was demonstrated since at VCE it was significantly correlated with bird strike rate. This study emphasizes the importance of the territory near airports and the wildlife use of its habitats, as factors in need of consideration for birdstrike risk assessment procedures. Information on the contribution of habitats in attracting birds, depending on season, can be used by airport managers and local authorities to plan specific interventions in the study area in order to lower the risk.

Comparison of minimalist footwear strategies for simulating barefoot running: a randomized crossover study.

Possible benefits of barefoot running have been widely discussed in recent years. Uncertainty exists about which footwear strategy adequately simulates barefoot running kinematics. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of athletic footwear with different minimalist strategies on running kinematics. Thirty-five distance runners (22 males, 13 females, 27.9 ± 6.2 years, 179.2 ± 8.4 cm, 73.4 ± 12.1 kg, 24.9 ± 10.9 km.week-1) performed a treadmill protocol at three running velocities (2.22, 2.78 and 3.33 m.s-1) using four footwear conditions: barefoot, uncushioned minimalist shoes, cushioned minimalist shoes, and standard running shoes. 3D kinematic analysis was performed to determine ankle and knee angles at initial foot-ground contact, rate of rear-foot strikes, stride frequency and step length. Ankle angle at foot strike, step length and stride frequency were significantly influenced by footwear conditions (p<0.001) at all running velocities. Posthoc pairwise comparisons showed significant differences (p<0.001) between running barefoot and all shod situations as well as between the uncushioned minimalistic shoe and both cushioned shoe conditions. The rate of rear-foot strikes was lowest during barefoot running (58.6% at 3.33 m.s-1), followed by running with uncushioned minimalist shoes (62.9%), cushioned minimalist (88.6%) and standard shoes (94.3%). Aside from showing the influence of shod conditions on running kinematics, this study helps to elucidate differences between footwear marked as minimalist shoes and their ability to mimic barefoot running adequately. These findings have implications on the use of footwear applied in future research debating the topic of barefoot or minimalist shoe running.

There Is More than One Way to Crack an Oyster: Identifying Variation in Burmese Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis aurea) Stone-Tool Use.

We explored variation in patterns of percussive stone-tool use on coastal foods by Burmese long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis aurea) from two islands in Laem Son National Park, Ranong, Thailand. We catalogued variation into three hammering classes and 17 action patterns, after examining 638 tool-use bouts across 90 individuals. Hammering class was based on the stone surface used for striking food, being face, point, and edge hammering. Action patterns were discriminated by tool material, hand use, posture, and striking motion. Hammering class was analyzed for associations with material and behavioural elements of tool use. Action patterns were not, owing to insufficient instances of most patterns. We collected 3077 scan samples from 109 macaques on Piak Nam Yai Island’s coasts, to determine the proportion of individuals using each hammering class and action pattern. Point hammering was significantly more associated with sessile foods, smaller tools, faster striking rates, smoother recoil, unimanual use, and more varied striking direction, than were face and edge hammering, while both point and edge hammering were significantly more associated with precision gripping than face hammering. Edge hammering also showed distinct differences depending on whether such hammering was applied to sessile or unattached foods, resembling point hammering for sessile foods and face hammering for unattached foods. Point hammering and sessile edge hammering compared to prior descriptions of axe hammering, while face and unattached edge hammering compared to pound hammering. Analysis of scans showed that 80% of individuals used tools, each employing one to four different action patterns. The most common patterns were unimanual point hammering (58%), symmetrical-bimanual face hammering (47%) and unimanual face hammering (37%). Unimanual edge hammering was relatively frequent (13%), compared to the other thirteen rare action patterns (<5%). We compare our study to other stone-using primates, and discuss implications for further research.

Effect of Water Level and Time of day on Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) Foraging Behavior at an Artificial Weir: 2013–2014

Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) feed primarily at night throughout the year but have been reported to also feed diurnally during the breeding season. Little previous research has compared daytime and nighttime foraging activity in this species. To better understand how light level affects foraging behavior, a pilot study was conducted in 2013 at an artificial weir located in Wichita, Kansas, used by Black-crowned Night-Herons and other wading birds. Based on 24 h of observation (14 h day, 10 h night), it was determined that many activities (strike rates, capture rates, capture efficiencies, relocation rates) did not differ between day and nighttime, but birds captured significantly larger fish during the day and also experienced significantly higher rates of aggression. That study was expanded in 2014, during which water levels at the weir differed significantly from 2013. An additional 63 h of observations recorded almost four times as many birds per hour in 2014 than in 2013, both during day and night. Strike rates and capture rates both were significantly lower in 2014 than in 2013, but the aggression rate was significantly higher. Neither capture efficiency (successful strikes/total strikes) nor prey size differed between 2013 and 2014. Since many measures of foraging behavior and social interactions differed between years, it is likely that water level influenced prey detection and availability, and high levels of aggression further limited prey capture. Despite lower rates of energy intake in 2014, diurnal foraging by Black-crowned Night-Herons appears to be important in meeting increased demands of reproduction.

Untreated depression in the first trimester of pregnancy leads to postpartum depression: high rates from a natural follow-up study.

BackgroundThis is a natural follow-up study that presents the postpartum results of women who experienced depression during pregnancy.MethodsThis study involved 78 women diagnosed with depression in the first trimester of pregnancy. All patients were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) in the first trimester and all were referred to a psychiatric center for treatment. Of the 78, 73 were contacted postpartum and reassessed by SCID-I. Treatment anamnesis was evaluated retrospectively.ResultsThe women were divided into two groups at the postpartum evaluation according to anamnesis of psychiatric treatment. Twenty-one of the 73 (28.7%) had received treatment during pregnancy (treated group). Fifty-two women had not been treated (untreated group). In the treated group, no postpartum depression was determined (0%). In the untreated group, 92% (n=48) of women had a depressive disorder postpartum (P<0.01). In addition, scores regarding depression, functionality, and perceived social support were worse postpartum for the untreated group.ConclusionUntreated depression during pregnancy is an important predictor of postpartum depression. This natural follow-up study is important because it presents very striking rates of postpartum depression. Referral of patients with depression during pregnancy to psychiatric treatment should be provided and is strongly encouraged.

The Extent of Integration Along the Front-end of the Project Lifecycle: A Marketing Perspective on Two Major Contractors

This paper is part of a programme of research work. A lack of cross-functional integration has been reported in four major international contracting organisations both vertically in the management hierarchy and horizontally along project lifecycles. One of the main aspects previously reported was the low level of management coordination and hence integration of value propositions between business development and bid management functions. This paper examines the matter further. It specifically examines business development (BD) and bid management (BM) in two additional major contractors where the two functions are combined under a single functional department. In the department, the same personnel manage BD and bidding. It poses the research question as to whether this leads to greater levels of coordination and integration. Two dimensions are examined in particular, namely understanding client needs to develop value propositions through BD and developing win-strategies during BM to potentially add value and deliver benefits during execution. The conceptual lens of marketing in construction is used for analysis. There are two main findings. First, the degree of coordination is marginally improved, yet the understanding and effort committed to BD was lower compared to BM. Therefore, the ability to develop win-strategies during BM was compromised by the lower emphasis on BD. Second, it was found that the level of integration between the two functions and with other functions, such as procurement and supply chain management, was low. This compromised the value propositions and delivery of benefits. The outcome is a contractor focus upon survival with sub-optimal strike rates and value propositions.

Technology-Aided Interventions and Instruction for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The use of technology in intervention and instruction for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing at a striking rate. The purpose of this paper is to examine the research literature underlying the use of technology in interventions and instruction for high school students with ASD. In this paper, authors propose a theoretical and conceptual framework for examining the use of technology by and for adolescents with ASD in school, home, and community settings. This framework is then used to describe the research literature on efficacy of intervention and instruction that utilizes technology. A review of the literature from 1990 to the end of 2013 identified 30 studies that documented efficacy of different forms of technology and their impact on academics, adaptive behavior, challenging behavior, communication, independence, social competence, and vocational skills.

Temporal links in daily activity patterns between coral reef predators and their prey.

Few studies have documented the activity patterns of both predators and their common prey over 24 h diel cycles. This study documents the temporal periodicity of two common resident predators of juvenile reef fishes, Cephalopholis cyanostigma (rockcod) and Pseudochromis fuscus (dottyback) and compares these to the activity and foraging pattern of a common prey species, juvenile Pomacentrus moluccensis (lemon damselfish). Detailed observations of activity in the field and using 24 h infrared video in the laboratory revealed that the two predators had very different activity patterns. C. cyanostigma was active over the whole 24 h period, with a peak in feeding strikes at dusk and increased activity at both dawn and dusk, while P. fuscus was not active at night and had its highest strike rates at midday. The activity and foraging pattern of P. moluccensis directly opposes that of C. cyanostigma with individuals reducing strike rate and intraspecific aggression at both dawn and dusk, and reducing distance from shelter and boldness at dusk only. Juveniles examined were just outside the size-selection window of P. fuscus. We suggest that the relatively predictable diel behaviour of coral reef predators results from physiological factors such as visual sensory abilities, circadian rhythmicity, variation in hunting profitability, and predation risk at different times of the day. Our study suggests that the diel periodicity of P. moluccensis behaviour may represent a response to increased predation risk at times when both the ability to efficiently capture food and visually detect predators is reduced.

Research of the 3D Splicing Technology Based on the Binocular Vision

In order to achieve three-dimensional automatic splicing from the multi-angle, the paper presents a new splicing method. The method utilizes the invariance of the spatial characteristics of the characteristic landmarks and then marks the characteristic landmarks by introducing the angle collection between the characteristic landmarks, and match in space for the characteristic landmarks within two perspective regional based on this characteristic collection. This method eliminates the tedious encoding process of the landmarks, so improves the spatial matching rate and ensures the matching accuracy. In addition, in the process of striking the three-dimensional coordinates of the landmarks, this paper strikes image coordinate of the characteristic signs circle center by introducing the regional connectivity feature flag. This method eliminates interference from unwanted areas, and distinguish between the various signs round independence and improves the strike rate of the circle center. At the end rotation matrix R and translation vector T of the coordinate system normalization are solved by the quadruple method. Examples show that the algorithm has strong robustness, can realize quickly, automatic stitching for the visual data, and has the very good practical value.

An assessment of mechanical behavior and fractography study of glass/epoxy composites at different temperatures and loading speeds

Effect of loading rate on fracture and mechanical behavior of autoclave cured glass fiber/epoxy prepreg composite has been studied at various loading (striking) rates (0.01-103mm/min). The maximum load carrying capacity and strain at yield continuously increases with increasing loading speed. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) value is high at low loading speed and becomes low at high loading speed with the transition of loading rate at approximately 300mm/min. The formation of steps, welt interfacial failure and cleavage formation on matrix resin i.e. localized plastic deformation processes were dominating mechanisms for specimens tested at low loading rates, while brittle fracture of fiber, fiber pull-out and impregnation were dominating mechanisms for specimens tested at loading rates of 800mm/min or higher.

Semi-sterilized Tissue Culture for Rapid Propagation of Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) Using Immature Cuttings

Rapid expansion of grapevine plantings in many parts of the world has led to increased demand for desirable planting stocks. In countries that rely on importing new varieties and have strict quarantine rules, such as Australia, vines need to stay under quarantine for ≈2 years before they are released, at which time there is very limited wood available. Hence, rapid expansion of propagating stock after release is the key to multiplying up new varieties. A novel method, referred to as Semi-sterilized Tissue Culture (SSTC) using immature single-node cuttings, was established and evaluated as a way of rapid expansion of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) planting stock. In the SSTC method, immature single-node cuttings were surface-sterilized using methylated spirits and then cultured in the root pulsing medium [1/2 Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 40 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)] for 24 hours. They were then planted in sterilized aerobic rooting medium (sphagnum peat:coarse river sand:perlite = 0.5:1:2) and cultured in a tissue culture room for ≈4 weeks for root initiation and development. The rooted immature single-node cuttings were then transferred to normal propagation beds in a greenhouse and potted on for acclimatization. Tube stock generated by SSTC easily acclimatized with a 15 times higher root strike rate than cutting propagation. It also took at least 50% less time than fully sterilized micropropagation methods to produce planting stocks. The advantages of the SSTC method are that it can be conducted under semisterilized conditions, avoiding degeneration and bacterial contamination problems encountered in micropropagation methods. By removing the time-consuming steps of the explant establishment, proliferation, and maintenance in vitro, the propagation process was simplified compared with conventional sterile tissue culture procedures. The SSTC procedure removed the need for high operator skill levels, reducing expense and allowing easier commercial adoption.

Influência da composição da matriz de encapsulamento de microbrotos de banana (Musa sp.) cv. Prata-Anã clone Gorutuba

A banana é a principal fruta no comércio internacional e a mais popular no mundo. A produção de sementes sintéticas vem destacando-se como uma importante técnica para a micropropagação e conservação in vitro de várias espécies. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência da composição da matriz de encapsulamento na conversão de microbrotos de banana cv. Prata-Anã clone Gorutuba. Os microbrotos de banana cv. Prata- Anã clone Gorutuba foram encapsulados, empregando-se na matriz alginato de sódio: água destilada e MS (50% e 100%), acrescidos ou não com carvão ativado (1,5 g L-1) em duas épocas de avaliação (15 e 30 dias). Foram testados três níveis de BAP (0; 3; 6 mg L-1) adicionados ou não a 2,5 mg L-1 de ANA, em duas épocas de avaliação (15 e 30 dias). Os dois experimentos foram inteiramente casualizados, sendo um fatorial 3 x 2 x 2, com seis repetições e cinco unidades encapsuláveis por parcela. Aos quinze dias, avaliou-se a conversão, e aos 30 dias, avaliou-se conversão, altura e enraizamento das plantas. Aconstituição da cápsula quando se utilizaram diferentes concentrações de meio MS, com ou sem a presença de carvão ativado, não influenciou na taxa de conversão e na altura das plantas. As cápsulas sem adição de reguladores de crescimento resultaram em melhor conversão dos microbrotos; entretanto, a concentração de 3 mg L-1 de BAP+2,5 mg L-1 de ANA proporcionaram maior altura de plantas. A maior taxa de enraizamento ocorre nas cápsulas contendo MS 100% e carvão ativado, e nas cápsulas com 0 e 3 mg L-1 de BAP, independentemente da adição de ANA. Aos 30 dias, é obtida maior conversão das sementes sintéticas.

Diurnal and Nocturnal Foraging Activity by Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) At an Artificial Weir

Abstract. To better understand how time of day and light level affect foraging patterns and feeding success in a primarily nocturnal wading bird, observations were made on Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nyticorox nycticorax) at an artificial weir located in the Little Arkansas River in Wichita, Kansas. Numbers of foraging birds at the weir were recorded using intervals of 1-hr periods during both day and nighttime. Strike rates, capture rates, relocation rates, prey sizes, and rates of aggression were compared. A similar number of Black-crowned Night-Herons used this site during the day and at night. Also mean strike rates, capture rates, and relocation rates did not differ between day and night. However, focal birds captured significantly larger fish during the day, when they also experienced higher rates of intra- and interspecific aggression. Since basic foraging patterns did not differ by time of day, it is likely that differences in the behavior, detection, and availability of prey account for the captu...

Peritoneal Dialysis in China: A Story of Growth and Innovation

Peritoneal Dialysis in China: A Story of Growth and Innovation

ESTIMATION OF LIGHTNING STRIKING DISTANCE TO HORIZONTAL CONDUCTOR

This paper attempts to investigate the horizontal conductor lightning striking distance estimation.An electromagnetic model was proposed to model a vertical downward lightning leader and aninfinite grounded horizontal conductor by using the charge simulation method (CSM) to calculatethe lateral striking distance. A formula between the lateral striking distance, the lightning current,and the horizontal conductor height was estimated. The proposed formula was compared withelectromagnetic model and previous formulas. By the use of a similar methodology, a horizontalconductor voltage coefficient had been proposed and estimated. The proposed voltage coefficientwas used to modify the electrogeometric model in order to study lightning striking rates of anunshielded horizontal conductor for different heights at either AC or DC voltages.