Potential for climate justice (CLIJ) tourism

Climate change has become the most vicious phenomenon of the era. The tourism industry is an inseparable contributor to it despite its precautions such as those proposed by the Davos Declaration to reduce its Carbon Foot Print (CFP). The researcher has identified the recommended measures as a Direct Solution, which is defensive and entails a limited practicality and hence an incomplete effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to find a more practical and complementary solution for the Direct Solution. In achieving that, two objectives were conceptualised by the researcher: to develop a compensative new tourism model with a compatible strategy and to investigate the potentiality of any relevant actors at present to effectively and efficiently work out that model. Thus the researcher derived a model from the available literature to be called as Climate Justice (CliJ) Tourism bringing about an Indirect Solution fortified with a strategy of Climate Change Combating Initiatives (CCCIs). CCCIs were classified into three activity spectra of: eradication of roots of climate change, mitigation of its impacts upon nature and society as well as development of adaptation measures against the effects of climate change. Three types of actors were identified for a coordinated implementation of the CCCIs: Operating Actors or NGOs, Disseminating Actors or voluntourists and Sending Partners or international volunteer-sending organizations. Research design was with case study method, mix approach and content analysis, interview, as well as observation techniques. 15 cases were studied using the judgment sampling method from Sri Lanka and Pune of India together with 06 international volunteer-sending organisations during two and half months. The analysis of results has revealed that there is a potential to implement the model of CliJ Tourism in association with the subject organizations though there are a lot of hindrances

Extending the impulse response in order to reduce errors due to impulse noise and signal fading

A finite impulse response (FIR) digital smearing filter was designed to produce maximum intersymbol interference and maximum extension of the impulse response of the signal in a noiseless binary channel. A matched FIR desmearing filter at the receiver then reduced the intersymbol interference to zero. Signal fades were simulated by means of 100 percent signal blockage in the channel. Smearing and desmearing filters of length 256, 512, and 1024 were used for these simulations. Results indicate that impulse response extension by means of bit smearing appears to be a useful technique for correcting errors due to impulse noise or signal fading in a binary channel

Weed Seed Bank Assessment in Two Organic Crop Rotation in Southern Sweden

Producing enough food to meet the needs of the growing global population is becoming increasingly challenging. Among the factors limiting food production, weeds are a major contributor, causing 34% of global yield loss. Effective weed management requires identifying the weed seed bank, as it serves as the primary source for future weed growth. A significant amount of research has examined the relationships between crop biomass and weed growth, the influence of crop rotations on weed seed density, and the impact of different cropping systems on weed community composition. However, a gap remains in understanding the effects of diversified organic crop rotations on the characteristics of weed seed banks. Investigating this aspect is essential for improving sustainable weed management practices, particularly within organic farming systems This study examined the composition of the weed seed bank and the effects of different intercropping treatments on weed abundance, species richness, diversity, and evenness in an organic field experiment in Alnarp, Sweden. A total of 996 individual weeds, representing 24 species, were identified from 50 soil samples. The dominant weed species were Veronica arvensis, Sonchus asper, Stellaria media, Matricaria perforata, and Chenopodium album. Oat intercropping increased species richness and weed diversity compared to oat sole cropping. However, intercropping oilseed rape with faba bean and intercropping pea with malting barley had no significant effects on species richness or diversity, and none of the intercropping treatments impacted weed evenness. An analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between weed biomass observed from the previous year and the weed seed bank. Results indicated that weed biomass had no significant impact on the composition of the weed seed bank in the current experiment. These findings suggest that while intercropping can influence weed diversity in specific crops, it does not significantly affect overall weed abundance, evenness, or seed bank dynamics. Extreme weather conditions in recent years could have significant disrupt the timing of weed control, which has become an increasing challenge in organic farming. Increasing support from authorities such as Länsstyrelsen Skåne, HIR Skåne and Jordbruksverket newsletters can offer farmers valuable guidance to enhance their knowledge and practices in organic weed management

Early Western Lay Buddhists in Colonial Asia: John Bowles Daly and the Buddhist Theosophical Society of Ceylon

The first westerners recorded as becoming lay Buddhists on Asian terms were members of the Buddhist Theosophical Society in Ceylon who took pansil (refuges and precepts) between 1880 to 1907 or later, tied to their work with the BTS’ modernising Buddhist schools. This article uses the life of Dr John Bowles Daly as a lens to explore these “conversions” and the BTS’ educational turn. Daly (c. 1844 – c. 1916), an Irish writer and ex-Anglican curate, played an important role in Buddhist schooling in Ceylon in the early 1890s. The article discusses why western BTS members took pansil and how this was understood, as well as the lack of western bhikkhu (monk) ordinations in Ceylon. The new lay-run schools slowly became established as a suitable object of dana (Buddhist donations) in competition with the traditional temple-run schools, leading in time to the formation of a new lay Sinhala Buddhist elite. These histories show the strong predominance of this elite as against the agendas not only of Daly but the international Theosophical Society

Olfactory Responses of Adult Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to the Host, Paracoccus marginatus and Host-Associated Plant Odours: Evidence from Y-Tube Olfactometer Trials

Insect predators have shown potential in suppressing populations of certain pest species when used in augmentative biological control programs, owing to their efficient host-location abilities. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, a predator of papaya mealybug (PMB) Paracoccus marginatus, was examined with the objective of assessing the behavioural responses of the predator to a variety of odour cues associated with PMB and papaya plants. Papaya plant odour, unparasitized mealybugs, complex interactions between plants and mealybugs, the presence or absence of parasitized prey, and the impact of conspecific competitors were included in the spectrum. A dual-choice Y-tube olfactometer was employed as the experimental apparatus. C. montrouzieri adults were significantly attracted to clean airflow compared to no airflow. Both sexes exhibited significant attraction to PMB-infested papaya leaves compared to uninfested papaya leaves, and a similar observation was made when comparing PMB-infested papaya leaves and clean air (control) (p<0.05). Adults did not exhibit a significant preference for newly infested and mature, previously infested papaya leaves. Adult males exhibited a significant preference for PMB-infested papaya leaves compared to parasitized mealybug-infested leaves (χ²=7.73, p<0.005); however, this trend was not observed in adult females. C. montrouzieri did not exhibit a significant preference towards conspecific competitors containing odour sources. Additionally, adult females exhibited a stronger preference for PMB-infested papaya leaves compared to dried papaya leaves containing older PMB infestations (χ²=4.09, p=0.043). A significantly higher proportion of males (78.6%) exhibited a preference for PMB-infested papaya leaves than females (66.6%) (t=-2.65, p=0.038). However, a significantly lower proportion of males (31.7%) displayed a preference for parasitized PMB[1]infested papaya leaves than females (41.7%) (t=2.78, p=0.032). The results of this study expand the understanding of the responses of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri to the host, papaya mealybug, and related plant odours.   Keywords: Coccinellids, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, Host odours, Paracoccus marginatus, Y-tube olfactometer

TCP Performance Enhancement over UMTS Network with RNC Feedback

TCP optimization for wireless networks to deal with packet losses due to fading, shadowing and contention should preferably maintain TCP end-to-end semantics with minimal dependence on intermediate nodes. The development of advanced 3G networks and services makes it necessary to find a way of improving TCP's efficiency and resource utilization. Previous research on this issue suggests that TCP needs radio network feedback to distinguish wireless related losses from congestion related losses. This paper presents such a mechanism that notifies the TCP sender of any noncongestion related losses by introducing a proxy at the RNC node of the UMTS network. Only a minimal change to the standard TCP is required to achieve this. OPNET is used in this study and the simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly improves the TCP performanc

Impact of ebb-delta dynamics on shoreline evolution along inlet-interrupted coasts

Shorelines adjacent to tidal inlets are highly dynamic landforms affected by oceanic (e.g., sea-level rise) and terrestrial (e.g., fluvial sediment supply) processes. Climate change is thus expected to have substantial physical impacts on these inlet-interrupted coasts. Numerical simulation of such impacts requires a holistic approach where at least the major governing processes that affect the local sediment budget are considered. The Generalized-Scale-aggregated Model for Inlet-interrupted Coasts (i.e., G-SMIC) is such a model that is capable of holistically simulating the evolution of inlet-interrupted coasts over multi-decadal to century time periods. However, in its present form, G-SMIC does not consider the effects of ebb-delta dynamics in its computations. Here, we improve the model to include ebb-delta dynamics and pilot the improved model (G-SMIC+) at two selected case study sites in Vietnam (Thu Bon estuary) and Wales, United Kingdom (Mawddach estuary). Model hindcasts of G-SMIC+ at both case study locations show reasonable agreement with available records of shoreline variations. The evolution of the two inlet-estuary systems was assessed over the 21st century under four of the IPCC’s sixth assessment report climate scenarios (viz., SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5). Results show that both systems switch between sediment exporting and sediment importing systems over the study period (2031 - 2100). Moreover, while the inclusion of ebb-delta dynamics may decrease the erosion volumes of the up-drift shoreline by up to 37% and 46% at Thu Bon and Mawddach estuaries, respectively (by 2100, relative to 2030), the down-drift coast is only affected in a noticeable way at the Mawddach estuary, where the accretion volume is projected to reduce by ~50%. As a result, the ebb-delta effect decreases the up-drift shoreline retreat by up to 37% and 48% at Thu Bon and Mawddach estuaries, respectively, while it reduces shoreline progradation of the down-drift coast of Mawddach estuary by up to ~50%. These results highlight the importance of including ebb-delta dynamics in modelling efforts to assess the climate change responses of inlet-interrupted coasts worldwide

Optimal Packetization Interval for VoIP Applications Over IEEE 802.16 Networks

An analysis of the impact of the packetization interval for constant bit rate traffic has been done in the context of IEEE 802.16 MAC layer. Bandwidth used for overheads which include lower layer headers as well as retransmissions at the MAC layer are considered. An optimal packetization interval selection method for delay sensitive applications such as VoIP is proposed. Enhancements to the Unsolicited Grant Service retransmission strategy are proposed to further improve delay and minimize packet loss while making efficient use of the limited bandwidth resource

Measuring consumer experience at the retail context: development of ConEx scale

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to conceptualize and develop a scale to measure consumer experience at the retail context. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted with a sample of 164 undergraduates of one of the state universities in Sri Lanka. Five dimensions of the consumer experience were identified by the exploratory factor analysis conducted with 21 measurement indicators. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with the five-factor measurement model and resulted in a five-dimensional structure for consumer experience with 14 measurement indicators. Findings: The study concluded that the consumer experience was a multidimensional construct, comprising the dimensions of virtue, equanimous, amusement, rapture, and strange. The multidimensional nature of consumer experience which was explored will help marketers to focus on the areas in which consumer experience enhancement is required and consumer experience strategies also can be designed according to the multidimensional aspects of consumer experience.   Originality: The study developed a Consumer Experience scale (ConEx scale) which can be used to examine the consumer experience in the retail context. The multidimensional structure of ConEx also concerns the hedonistic perspective of consumer experience. Implications: The customer experience in retail sector can be addressed through customer emotions. The explored dimensions of customer experience provide important implications for practitioners by offering new ways to explore customer emotions in retail setting. Keywords: Consumer emotions, consumer experience, experience marketing, retailing, ConEx Scal

Analytical Representation Technique of Modelling Present Value Function and the Application to Life Table Functions under the Framework of Chebyshev Polynomial

In life insurance analysis, weighing insured’s benefits and contributions which occur over time requires discounting those amounts to present value equivalents. Therefore, the choice of discount rate can be consequential for the valuation of insurance policies. Out of the functions making up the life insurance products, there seems to be no closed form numerical estimates for the interest rate intensity and present value functions. This identified problem may either be in favour of the insured or ortherwise. However, the practice favours the life insurer most in actuarial valuation under the deterministic parsimonious setting. Empirical evidence suggests that new theoretical model advances given the future uncertainty likely suggesting lower long-term rates. This evidence generally supports lowering discount rates under a feasible best guess based on the available financial information. This necessitates deriving a discount rate which can adjust for the fact that benefits are more valuable at present than in the future if policyholders prefer to buy cover now rather than wait or if insurers could be earning a positive return on invested incomes. In this study, the objectives is to develop model for the present value function under the Chebyshev polynomial series framework within the interval of orthogonality and then define some life table structures on the model. From our analytical constructions, as the argument of the polynomial series tends to, we obtain the present value function, which attempts to balance the interests of the policyholders and the life insurers