Search

Droughts and changing rainfall patterns due to natural climate variability and climate change, threaten the livelihoods of Malawi’s smallholder farmers, who constitute 80% of the population. Provision of seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs) is one means to potentially increase the resilience of rainfed farming to drought by informing farmers in their agricultural decisions. Local knowledge can play an important role in improving the value of SCFs, by making the forecast better-suited to the local environment and decision-making. This study explores whether the contextual relevance of the information provided in SCFs can be improved through the integration of farmers’ local knowledge in three districts in central and southern Malawi. A forecast threshold model is established that uses meteorological indicators before the rainy season as predictors of dry conditions during that season. Local knowledge informs our selection of the meteorological indicators as potential predictors. Verification of forecasts made with this model shows that meteorological indicators based on local knowledge have a predictive value for forecasting dry conditions in the rainy season. The forecast skill differs per location, with increased skill in the Southern Highlands climate zone. In addition, the local knowledge indicators show increased predictive value in forecasting locally relevant dry conditions, in comparison to the currently-used El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indicators. We argue that the inclusion of local knowledge in the current drought information system of Malawi may improve the SCFs for farmers. We show that it is possible to capture local knowledge using observed station and climate reanalysis data. Our approach could benefit National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the development of relevant climate services and support drought-risk reduction by humanitarian actors.

Droughts and changing rainfall patterns due to natural climate variability and climate change, threaten the livelihoods of Malawi’s smallholder farmers, who constitute 80% of the population. Provision of seasonal climate forecasts (SCFs) is one means to potentially increase the resilience of rainfed farming to drought by informing farmers in their agricultural decisions. Local knowledge can play an important role in improving the value of SCFs, by making the forecast better-suited to the local environment and decision-making. This study explores whether the contextual relevance of the information provided in SCFs can be improved through the integration of farmers’ local knowledge in three districts in central and southern Malawi. A forecast threshold model is established that uses meteorological indicators before the rainy season as predictors of dry conditions during that season. Local knowledge informs our selection of the meteorological indicators as potential predictors. Verification of forecasts made with this model shows that meteorological indicators based on local knowledge have a predictive value for forecasting dry conditions in the rainy season. The forecast skill differs per location, with increased skill in the Southern Highlands climate zone. In addition, the local knowledge indicators show increased predictive value in forecasting locally relevant dry conditions, in comparison to the currently-used El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indicators. We argue that the inclusion of local knowledge in the current drought information system of Malawi may improve the SCFs for farmers. We show that it is possible to capture local knowledge using observed station and climate reanalysis data. Our approach could benefit National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the development of relevant climate services and support drought-risk reduction by humanitarian actors.

Business model innovation in the public sector is important in creating value for citizens, industry, and government. The differing priorities of these stakeholders, which often require intervention or unification to address a societal need, are at the heart of both supply-side and demand-side strategy research. Moreover, it represents a core element of the business model innovation delivering key commodities, such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), to large populations in the developing world. In this paper, we examine varying conditions in the public sector that require both supply-side and demand-side business model innovation for value creation, capture, and appropriation through deployment of digital government initiatives and policy interventions. Through observing the Indian LPG industry over a 70-year period, we argue that the supply-side and demand-side perspective, along with the business model concept, promote a better understanding of government industry interventions in the interest of all stakeholders. Specifically, the contribution in the public sector is unique, because (i) research on demand-side strategy can help business model scholars gain a more robust, granular understanding of effective value propositions for citizens, (ii) supply-side strategy business models create a seamless delivery mechanism, and (iii) both with their unique propositions serve as a “bridging concept” that connects the shared ideas of both areas of study to resource-based streams of strategy research.

Business model innovation in the public sector is important in creating value for citizens, industry, and government. The differing priorities of these stakeholders, which often require intervention or unification to address a societal need, are at the heart of both supply-side and demand-side strategy research. Moreover, it represents a core element of the business model innovation delivering key commodities, such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), to large populations in the developing world. In this paper, we examine varying conditions in the public sector that require both supply-side and demand-side business model innovation for value creation, capture, and appropriation through deployment of digital government initiatives and policy interventions. Through observing the Indian LPG industry over a 70-year period, we argue that the supply-side and demand-side perspective, along with the business model concept, promote a better understanding of government industry interventions in the interest of all stakeholders. Specifically, the contribution in the public sector is unique, because (i) research on demand-side strategy can help business model scholars gain a more robust, granular understanding of effective value propositions for citizens, (ii) supply-side strategy business models create a seamless delivery mechanism, and (iii) both with their unique propositions serve as a “bridging concept” that connects the shared ideas of both areas of study to resource-based streams of strategy research.

For children under 12 years of age who have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, there are currently no approved treatments with direct-acting antiviral agents. We therefore evaluated the safety and efficacy of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir in HCV-infected children aged 3 to <6 years. In an open-label study, patients 3 to <6 years old chronically infected with HCV genotype 1 (n = 33) or 4 (n = 1) received weight-based doses of combined ledipasvir-sofosbuvir as granules (33.75 mg/150 mg for weights <17 kg or 45 mg/200 mg for weights ≥17 kg) for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was sustained virological response 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12). For the first 14 patients, intensive pharmacokinetic sampling was done on day 10 of treatment. All patients had been infected through perinatal transmission and were treatment naïve. No patients had known cirrhosis. Ten patients (29%) weighed <17 kg. SVR12 was achieved in 97% of patients (33 of 34); the patient who did not achieve SVR12 was 3 years old and discontinued treatment after 5 days because of an adverse event "abnormal drug taste." The most common adverse events were vomiting (24% of patients), cough (21%), and pyrexia (21%). No patients experienced a serious adverse event. Intensive pharmacokinetic analysis of 13 patients for whom data were evaluable confirmed that the doses selected were appropriate. Conclusion: Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir was well tolerated and highly effective in children 3 to <6 years old with chronic HCV infection.

© 2018 IEEE. The Bonferroni mean (BM) operator, introduced by Bonferroni, is a powerful tool to capture the interrelationship among aggregated arguments. Various generalizations and extensions of BM have developed and applied to solve many realworld problems. Recently, the notion of Partitioned Bonferroni mean (PBM) operator has been proposed with the assumption that the interrelationships do not always exist among all of the attributes. This work studies the PBM operator under triangular fuzzy environment. First, we propose a new fuzzy aggregation operator called the triangular fuzzy partitioned Bonferroni mean} (TFPBM) operator for aggregating triangular fuzzy numbers. Some properties and special cases of the new aggregation operator are also investigated. For the situations where the input arguments have different importance, we then define the triangular fuzzy weighted partitioned Bonferroni mean} (TFWPBM) operator. Furthermore, based on TFWPBM operator, an approach to deal with multiple attribute decision-making problems under triangular fuzzy environment is developed. Finally, a practical example is provided to illustrate the developed approach.

© Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the development of key supply chain capabilities in the Indian public sector-run liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply chain. This case study has relevance to emerging markets grappling with problems caused by monopolies and subsidies. Furthermore, this case study not only aims to improve operations of the LPG supply chain, but also re-designs its supply network to meet customers’ expectations. It illustrates value creation through growth in non-domestic sales, a reduction in consumption of subsidized LPG as a consequence of better understanding of customer needs and customer diversity, process re-engineering and deployment of ICT systems, and change management and capability building across various LPG stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – An interpretive research methodology is applied, using an illustrative single case study of the Indian public sector-run LPG supply chain. The research methodology is iterative and exploratory in nature, consisting of a back and forth process between extant literature and the field, as well as in-depth discussions/interviews with senior management, distributors, and consumers. Findings – Key supply chain capabilities of an integrated and seamless ICT system, detection and blocking of duplicate/ghost connections, the capping of entitlements, and coordination and collaboration across various stakeholders result in value creation for all stakeholders. When such collaboration across stakeholders’ spans both vertically and horizontally through the supply chain, change management and capability building drive value creation through policy interventions and initiatives. Practical implications – This study provides an illustrative example of meeting customers’ expectations, increasing consumer convenience, and improving service levels, amidst the complex subsidy challenges in LPG distribution in India. The economic and environmental benefits, as well

© Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the development of key supply chain capabilities in the Indian public sector-run liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply chain. This case study has relevance to emerging markets grappling with problems caused by monopolies and subsidies. Furthermore, this case study not only aims to improve operations of the LPG supply chain, but also re-designs its supply network to meet customers’ expectations. It illustrates value creation through growth in non-domestic sales, a reduction in consumption of subsidized LPG as a consequence of better understanding of customer needs and customer diversity, process re-engineering and deployment of ICT systems, and change management and capability building across various LPG stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – An interpretive research methodology is applied, using an illustrative single case study of the Indian public sector-run LPG supply chain. The research methodology is iterative and exploratory in nature, consisting of a back and forth process between extant literature and the field, as well as in-depth discussions/interviews with senior management, distributors, and consumers. Findings – Key supply chain capabilities of an integrated and seamless ICT system, detection and blocking of duplicate/ghost connections, the capping of entitlements, and coordination and collaboration across various stakeholders result in value creation for all stakeholders. When such collaboration across stakeholders’ spans both vertically and horizontally through the supply chain, change management and capability building drive value creation through policy interventions and initiatives. Practical implications – This study provides an illustrative example of meeting customers’ expectations, increasing consumer convenience, and improving service levels, amidst the complex subsidy challenges in LPG distribution in India. The economic and environmental benefits, as well

FHL2, a member of the four and one half LIM domain protein family, is a critical transcriptional modulator. Here, we identify FHL2 as a critical regulator of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that is essential for maintaining HSC self-renewal under regenerative stress. We find that Fhl2 loss has limited effects on hematopoiesis under homeostatic conditions. In contrast, Fhl2-null chimeric mice reconstituted with Fhl2-null bone marrow cells developed abnormal hematopoiesis with significantly reduced numbers of HSCs, hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), red blood cells and platelets as well as hemoglobin levels. In addition, HSCs displayed a significantly reduced self-renewal capacity and were skewed toward myeloid lineage differentiation. We find that Fhl2 loss reduces both HSC quiescence and survival in response to regenerative stress, probably as a consequence of Fhl2-loss-mediated downregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase-inhibitors, including p21(Cip) and p27(Kip1). Interestingly, FHL2 is regulated under the control of a tissue-specific promoter in hematopoietic cells and it is downregulated by DNA hypermethylation in the leukemia cell line and primary leukemia cells. Furthermore, we find that downregulation of FHL2 frequently occurs in myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia patients, raising a possibility that FHL2 downregulation has a role in the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies.

FHL2, a member of the four and one half LIM domain protein family, is a critical transcriptional modulator. Here, we identify FHL2 as a critical regulator of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that is essential for maintaining HSC self-renewal under regenerative stress. We find that Fhl2 loss has limited effects on hematopoiesis under homeostatic conditions. In contrast, Fhl2-null chimeric mice reconstituted with Fhl2-null bone marrow cells developed abnormal hematopoiesis with significantly reduced numbers of HSCs, hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), red blood cells and platelets as well as hemoglobin levels. In addition, HSCs displayed a significantly reduced self-renewal capacity and were skewed toward myeloid lineage differentiation. We find that Fhl2 loss reduces both HSC quiescence and survival in response to regenerative stress, probably as a consequence of Fhl2-loss-mediated downregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase-inhibitors, including p21(Cip) and p27(Kip1). Interestingly, FHL2 is regulated under the control of a tissue-specific promoter in hematopoietic cells and it is downregulated by DNA hypermethylation in the leukemia cell line and primary leukemia cells. Furthermore, we find that downregulation of FHL2 frequently occurs in myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia patients, raising a possibility that FHL2 downregulation has a role in the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies.

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Macroporous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) foam composites with high loading of uniformly distributed lithium ion sieves (LIS) were successfully fabricated and evaluated for Li+ recovery. Surfactant blending combined with cryo-desiccation effectively produced LIS/PVA foams with hierarchical porosity composed of macro- and mesopores. Glutaraldehyde cross-linking rendered the LIS/PVA foams insoluble in water but exhibited high water absorbency and flexibility. Relative to the LIS powder, the foams exhibited minimal reductions in adsorption capacity (qe) and kinetic properties due to: (1) high total porosity and surface area, (2) hydrophilicity of PVA matrix, and (3) high LIS loading, which promoted particle exposure on the foam surface. These features facilitated easy convective flow of water through the matrix and allowed intimate contact between the Li+ feed source and the LIS surface. Thus, LIS/PVA foams with high loadings (200-300wt%) exhibited meager reductions in qe (7-13%) and kinetic properties compared to the LIS powder. With LIS loading increase, Li+ selectivity of LIS/PVA foams against other cations (i.e. Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) likewise approached that of the LIS powder. While 300wt% LIS/PVA had low mechanical property, lower LIS loadings of 200- and 250wt% were highly durable and exhibited no deterioration in adsorption performance and reusability. Among the prepared LIS/PVA, 250wt% demonstrated the highest adsorption performance and can be repeatedly used for long-term application. The developed LIS/PVA foams are promising Li+ adsorbents for secondary Li+ sources; application of these foams via a simple "absorb and squeeze" mechanism could be more practical than the energy-intensive processes like packed bed and membrane systems.

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Macroporous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) foam composites with high loading of uniformly distributed lithium ion sieves (LIS) were successfully fabricated and evaluated for Li+ recovery. Surfactant blending combined with cryo-desiccation effectively produced LIS/PVA foams with hierarchical porosity composed of macro- and mesopores. Glutaraldehyde cross-linking rendered the LIS/PVA foams insoluble in water but exhibited high water absorbency and flexibility. Relative to the LIS powder, the foams exhibited minimal reductions in adsorption capacity (qe) and kinetic properties due to: (1) high total porosity and surface area, (2) hydrophilicity of PVA matrix, and (3) high LIS loading, which promoted particle exposure on the foam surface. These features facilitated easy convective flow of water through the matrix and allowed intimate contact between the Li+ feed source and the LIS surface. Thus, LIS/PVA foams with high loadings (200-300wt%) exhibited meager reductions in qe (7-13%) and kinetic properties compared to the LIS powder. With LIS loading increase, Li+ selectivity of LIS/PVA foams against other cations (i.e. Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) likewise approached that of the LIS powder. While 300wt% LIS/PVA had low mechanical property, lower LIS loadings of 200- and 250wt% were highly durable and exhibited no deterioration in adsorption performance and reusability. Among the prepared LIS/PVA, 250wt% demonstrated the highest adsorption performance and can be repeatedly used for long-term application. The developed LIS/PVA foams are promising Li+ adsorbents for secondary Li+ sources; application of these foams via a simple "absorb and squeeze" mechanism could be more practical than the energy-intensive processes like packed bed and membrane systems.

In order to develop climate resilient urban areas and reduce emissions, several opportunities exist starting from conscious planning and design of green (and blue) spaces in these landscapes. Green urban infrastructure has been regarded as beneficial, e.g. by balancing water flows, providing thermal comfort. This article explores the existing evidence on the contribution of green spaces to climate change mitigation and adaptation services. We suggest a framework of ecosystem services for systematizing the evidence on the provision of bio-physical benefits (e.g. CO2 sequestration) as well as social and psychological benefits (e.g. improved health) that enable coping with (adaptation) or reducing the adverse effects (mitigation) of climate change. The multi-functional and multi-scale nature of green urban infrastructure complicates the categorization of services and benefits, since in reality the interactions between various benefits are manifold and appear on different scales. We will show the relevance of the benefits from green urban infrastructures on three spatial scales (i.e. city, neighborhood and site specific scales). We will further report on co-benefits and trade-offs between the various services indicating that a benefit could in turn be detrimental in relation to other functions. The manuscript identifies avenues for further research on the role of green urban infrastructure, in different types of cities, climates and social contexts. Our systematic understanding of the bio-physical and social processes defining various services allows targeting stressors that may hamper the provision of green urban infrastructure services in individual behavior as well as in wider planning and environmental management in urban areas.

Wind energy is very popular renewable energy resource. To increase the use of wind energy it is important to develop wind turbine rotor with high rotations rates and power coefficient. In this paper a method for the determination of the aerodynamic performance characteristics using NACA airfoils is given for three bladed horizontal axis wind turbine. Blade geometry is obtained from the best approximation of the calculated theoretical optimum chord and twist distribution of the rotating blade. Optimal rotor theory is used, which is simple enough and accurate enough for rotor design. In this work eight different airfoils are used to investigate the changes in performance of the blade. Rotor diameter taken is 82 m which is the diameter of VESTAS V82-1.65MW. The airfoils taken are same from root to tip in every blade. The design lift coefficient taken is 1.1. A computer program is generated to automate the complete procedure.