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The present study investigates the perception of local communities and obtains the socio-economic impacts of ecotourism development in Terengganu, Malaysia. Two ecotourism places of Terengganu namely Lake Kenyir and Sekayu Recreational Forest had purposively been chosen for study. A non-probability convenience sampling was adopted for sample selection and a structured questionnaire was administered among 310 respondents to investigate the perception of the local communities. Factor analysis was done to identify the latent constructs and a theoretical Structural Equation Model (SEM) was proposed and tested. Results show that employment opportunities, homestay accommodations, and community participation are some positive socio-economic impacts of ecotourism development. Moreover, degradation of natural resources and break-up of religious traditions have been identified as negative socio-economic impacts. To ensure sustainable ecotourism development and endure the maximum benefit to the local communities, these negative impacts should be minimized. Encouragement should be given to local communities to accelerate the positive impacts of ecotourism.

Woodland combat background (CB) is a common source of natural plant based natural dyes (NPND). Swietenia Macrophylla , Mangifera Indica , Terminalia Arjuna , Corchorus Capsularis , Camellia Sinensis , Azadirachta Indica , Acacia Acuminata , Areca Catechu and Cinnamomum Tamala were dried-grinded-powdered-extracted-polyaziridine encapsulated-dyed-coated-printed with leafy design on cotton fabric and tested against woodland CB under the reflection engineering of ultraviolet (UV)–visible (Vis)–near infrared (NIR) spectrums and photographic versus chromatic techniques of Vis imaging. The reflection properties of NPND treated and untreated cotton fabric were experimented by UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer from 220 to 1400 nm. Six segments of field trialling for NPND treated woodland camouflage textiles were also investigated for concealment, detection, recognition and identification of target signature against forest plants/herbs species; common tree of woodland CB such as Shorea Robusta Gaertn , Bamboo Vulgaris , Musa Acuminata ; and a wooden bridge made by Eucalyptus Citriodora & Bamboo Vulgaris . The imaging properties such as CIE L*, a*, b* and RGB (red, green, blue) of NPND treated cotton-garments were captured by digital camera from 400 to 700 nm against tree stem/bark, dry leaves, green leaves and dry wood of woodland CB. Therefore, a colorful matching for concealment, detection, recognition and identification of target signature against woodland CB was verified by Vis camera imaging and UV–Vis–NIR reflection mechanism. UV-protection property of Swietenia Macrophylla treated cotton fabric was also investigated by diffuse reflection for defence clothing. Simultaneous ‘camouflage textiles in UV–Vis–NIR’ and ‘UV-protective’ property of Swietenia Macrophylla treated fabric have been investigated for NPND materials-based textiles coloration (dyeing-coating-printing) which is a new concept for camouflage formulation of NPND dyed-NPND mordanted-NPND coated-NPND printed textiles in terms of ecofriendly source of woodland camouflage materials. Therefore, technical properties of NPND materials and methodologies of camouflage textile assessment have been advanced in addition to coloration philosophy of natural dyed-coated-printed textiles.

A new microscopic traffic flow model is established based on heterogeneous driver's sensitivity; in this new model, the driver's sensitivity is defined as being dependent on the headway distances to the preceding vehicle, similar to Bando’s optimal velocity function. We introduce the formulation of this cognitive driver's sensitivity utilizing a modified form of Bando’s optimal velocity function. A simple methodology, which is used for improving Bando’s optimal velocity function, has been implemented for developing the cognitive driver’s sensitivity function, which establishes a correlation between the flow field’s density and human drivers' responses. The model is highly advanced for introducing a human-driven traffic flow field considering the driver’s mental behavioral activity. Using the linear stability condition, we elucidate a neutral stability condition. A series of numerical simulations indicates how the present model describes dynamics that differ from the conventional model, which assumes a constant driver's sensitivity.

In this study, an artificial traffic system, which is generated on a computer by utilizing the computational technique, has been developed by establishing brilliant lane-changing criteria for the Cellular Automata (CA) traffic model to figure out adequate strategies for cooperative driving that can be implemented in actual traffic systems for optimum use of existing road facilities. We investigate the flow efficiency and social dilemma, which embody the tension between the demanded road facility and the existing road facility, that emerged due to the defector drivers in a traffic flow system, who are highly aggressive in driving and impose threatening/pushing effects on their preceding while they are tailgating. The evolutionary game theory, which is one of the most efficient tools in the decision-making process, has been utilized to identify the Social Efficiency Deficit (SED), which means the dilemma strength of those games. We introduced a new lane-changing protocol for the preceding vehicle, considering the threatening effects given by the aggressive follower. This investigation explored several case studies defining various strategies for cofactors and defectors. We conducted a series of multi-agent simulations on this traffic flow system and experienced the Prisoner’s Dilemma (PD) and the Quasi-Prisoner’s Dilemma game with diverse dilemma strengths for four different strategies for cooperators and defectors.

RNA-Seq is an important technique for predictions and functional analysis of genes that improves gene ontology biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components, but still now there is limited information available on this topic.Tyagi et al.nicely presented the recent genomics technologies such as first generation, second generation (Next generation) and third generation for functional genomic studies. [...]genetic analysis nearby the SNP markers linked to the QTL revealed many biotic stress responsive genes within this QTLs, including a cluster of four chitinase A genes. Among them, 388 genes were transcription factors and associated with momilactone and phenolic acid biosynthesis which could play critical roles in allelopathy. [...]they identified the up-regulated and down-regulated genes at certain condition, which could be involved in the secondary metabolites’ biosynthesis and developmental processes; respectively.

Diarrhoeal diseases cause illness and death among children younger than 5 years in low-income countries. We designed the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) to identify the aetiology and population-based burden of paediatric diarrhoeal disease in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. The GEMS is a 3-year, prospective, age-stratified, matched case-control study of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea in children aged 0–59 months residing in censused populations at four sites in Africa and three in Asia. We recruited children with moderate-to-severe diarrhoea seeking care at health centres along with one to three randomly selected matched community control children without diarrhoea. From patients with moderate-to-severe diarrhoea and controls, we obtained clinical and epidemiological data, anthropometric measurements, and a faecal sample to identify enteropathogens at enrolment; one follow-up home visit was made about 60 days later to ascertain vital status, clinical outcome, and interval growth. We enrolled 9439 children with moderate-to-severe diarrhoea and 13 129 control children without diarrhoea. By analysing adjusted population attributable fractions, most attributable cases of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea were due to four pathogens: rotavirus, Cryptosporidium, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli producing heat-stable toxin (ST-ETEC; with or without co-expression of heat-labile enterotoxin), and Shigella. Other pathogens were important in selected sites (eg, Aeromonas, Vibrio cholerae O1, Campylobacter jejuni). Odds of dying during follow-up were 8·5-fold higher in patients with moderate-to-severe diarrhoea than in controls (odd ratio 8·5, 95% CI 5·8–12·5, p<0·0001); most deaths (167 [87·9%]) occurred during the first 2 years of life. Pathogens associated with increased risk of case death were ST-ETEC (hazard ratio [HR] 1·9; 0·99–3·5) and typical enteropathogenic E coli (HR 2·6; 1·6–4·1) in infants aged 0–11 months, and Cryptosporidium (HR 2·3; 1·3–4·3) in toddlers aged 12–23 months. Interventions targeting five pathogens (rotavirus, Shigella, ST-ETEC, Cryptosporidium, typical enteropathogenic E coli) can substantially reduce the burden of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea. New methods and accelerated implementation of existing interventions (rotavirus vaccine and zinc) are needed to prevent disease and improve outcomes. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The present study investigates the perception of local communities and obtains the socio-economic impacts of ecotourism development in Terengganu, Malaysia. Two ecotourism places of Terengganu namely Lake Kenyir and Sekayu Recreational Forest had purposively been chosen for study. A non-probability convenience sampling was adopted for sample selection and a structured questionnaire was administered among 310 respondents to investigate the perception of the local communities. Factor analysis was done to identify the latent constructs and a theoretical Structural Equation Model (SEM) was proposed and tested. Results show that employment opportunities, homestay accommodations, and community participation are some positive socio-economic impacts of ecotourism development. Moreover, degradation of natural resources and break-up of religious traditions have been identified as negative socio-economic impacts. To ensure sustainable ecotourism development and endure the maximum benefit to the local communities, these negative impacts should be minimized. Encouragement should be given to local communities to accelerate the positive impacts of ecotourism.

Previous studies have demonstrated that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) induces stomatal closure dependent on change of cytosolic free calcium concentration in guard cells. However, these molecular mechanisms of intracellular Ca²⁺ signal perception remain unknown. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) function as Ca²⁺ signal transducers in various plant physiological processes. It has been reported that four Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CDPKs, CPK3, CPK6, CPK4, and CPK11, are involved in abscisic acid signaling in guard cells. It is also known that there is an interaction between MeJA and abscisic acid signaling in guard cells. In this study, we examined the roles of these CDPKs in MeJA signaling in guard cells using Arabidopsis mutants disrupted in the CDPK genes. Disruption of the CPK6 gene impaired MeJA-induced stomatal closure, but disruption of the other CDPK genes did not. Despite the broad expression pattern of CPK6, we did not find other remarkable MeJA-insensitive phenotypes in the cpk6-1 mutant. The whole-cell patch-clamp analysis revealed that MeJA activation of nonselective Ca²⁺-permeable cation channels is impaired in the cpk6-1 mutant. Consistent with this result, MeJA-induced transient cytosolic free calcium concentration increments were reduced in the cpk6-1 mutant. MeJA failed to activate slow-type anion channels in the cpk6-1 guard cells. Production of early signal components, reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide, in guard cells was elicited by MeJA in the cpk6-1 mutant as in the wild type. These results provide genetic evidence that CPK6 has a different role from CPK3 and functions as a positive regulator of MeJA signaling in Arabidopsis guard cells.

Sustainable tourism uses the resources of an area and attempts to create a balance between potential and existing activities. Practical case studies of sustainable tourism are difficult to identify because of the involvement of interrelated variables and dimensions. The study measures the index of sustainability for ecotourism in Lake Kenyir from social, economic, and environmental dimensions. The study follows non-probability convenience sampling design with purposive sampling technique for the sample selection. The study uses 47 indicators under six relationship aspects, namely, resource on community, community on resource, resource on tourism, tourism on resource, tourism on community, and community on tourism to measure the ecotourism sustainability of the study site based on respondent perception. Based on the Barometer of Sustainability, the result demonstrates that Kenyir is classified as “potential sustainable” ecotourism destination. The study identifies four relationship aspects, namely, resource community, resource tourism, community tourism, and tourism community with potential sustainable level. The community and tourism resources have the poorest sustainability, and fall within the potentially unsustainable level. Result reveals the good interrelationship between tourism and community in the study site.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and salicylic acid (SA) exhibit protective effects against a wide array of stresses. In this study, we investigated the relative efficacy of exogenous H2O2 and SA in conferring drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment was repeated two times, firstly in a hydroponic system and secondly in soil. The results revealed that drought hampered germination indices, seedling growth, photosynthetic pigments, and water content, whereas increased proline content. It also triggered higher H2O2 production and consequently elevated lipid peroxidation, which is a particular indication of oxidative damage. However, exogenous H2O2 or SA treatment effectively alleviated oxidative damage in rice seedlings both in hydroponic and soil systems via upregulating antioxidant enzymes. Nevertheless, regulation of proline level and augmentation of plant-water status were crucial to confer drought tolerance. Exogenous H2O2 or SA also protected photosynthetic pigments from oxidative damage that might help to maintain normal photosynthesis under drought. Besides, 5 mmol/L H2O2 and 0.5 or 1 mmol/L SA showed similar effectiveness on mitigating drought stress. Finally, our findings suggest that exogenous H2O2 or SA could evenly be effectual in the amending growth of rice seedlings under drought conditions.