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Natural language processing is associated with human-computer interaction, where several challenges require natural language understanding. The Word sense disambiguation problem comprises the computational assignment of meaning to a word according to a specific context in which it occurs. There are numerous natural language processing applications, such as machine translation, information retrieval, and information extraction, which require this task which takes place at the semantic level. To solve this problem unsupervised computation proposals can be effective since they have been successfully used for many real-world optimization problems. In this paper, we propose to solve the word sense disambiguation problem using the cuckoo search algorithm in the Assamese language. We illustrate the performance of our algorithm by carrying out experiments on an Assamese corpus. And comparing them against an unsupervised genetic algorithm that is implemented in the Assamese language. Results of the experiment show that the cuckoo algorithm can achieve more precision, recall and F-measure, attaining 87.5, 84, and 85.71 percentages respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers how the UK Regulator, in collaboration with stakeholders, is attempting to create a new market opportunity for advanced networked services using interleaved Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV) Whitespace, that is, valuable spectrum released and reorganised post the digital switchover. It discusses inter alia a key issue, which is how the Regulator will balance the technical requirements needed to create a commercially viable network, against his competing obligation under the Communications Act 2003 to maintain order and avoid interference to DTTV and Programme Making & Special Event (PMSE) users. Particular consideration is given to the outcome of field trials and areas of forward risk for the Regulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the early days of shrimp aquaculture, wild-captured brooders usually spawned repeatedly once every 2–4days. However, since the first outbreaks of white spot disease (WSD) nearly 20years ago, captured female brooders often died soon after a single spawning. Although these deaths were clearly attributable to WSD, it has always been unclear how spawning stress could lead to an outbreak of the disease. Using real-time qPCR, we show here that while replication of the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV; the causative agent of WSD) is triggered by spawning, there was no such increase in the levels of another shrimp DNA virus, IHHNV (infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus). We also show that levels of activated STAT are increased in brooders during and after spawning, which is important because shrimp STAT is known to transactivate the expression of the WSSV immediate early gene ie1. Lastly, we used dsRNA silencing experiment to show that both WSSV ie1 gene expression and WSSV genome copy number were reduced significantly after shrimp STAT was knocked-down. This is the first report to demonstrate in vivo that shrimp STAT is important for WSSV replication and that spawning stress increases activated STAT, which in turn triggers WSSV replication in WSSV-infected brooders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper the authors introduce the "Theory of α-Sustainable Development" which is developed using fuzzy set theory. The existing concept and definition of "Sustainable Development" is correct and well understood by the world, but is not very precisely defined. In our "Theory of α-Sustainable Development" we say that every development (D) is a sustainable development up to certain extent depending upon the fuzzy measure 'α' of the amount of sustainability of D. We propose double categorization of every hybrid-pillar (HP) Development for better evaluation: Categorization in Type-1 and Categorization in Type-2. For a single-pillar development D the value of the fuzzy measure α is a non-negative number in [0,1], and the same is also true for a hybrid pillar (2P or 3P) development D while categorizing under Type-2. However, while categorizing the HP-Developments under Type-1, the value of α is an ordered pair (α 1 , α 2) where α 1 and α 2 are in [0,1]. Every development D is graded to be qualified as one of the five categories of sustainable development: SSD, GSD, PSD, WSD and NSD. In 'Theory of α-Sustainable Development' the existing core notion of 'Sustainable Development' is neither compromised nor diluted. The theory initially discusses about 'single-pillar Sustainable Development' and then about 'multi-pillar Sustainable Development' (also called by Hybrid Pillar Sustainable Development). The notion of 'α-Sustainable Development' will be very much useful to the corresponding regulatory bodies to improve the practices of dealing a development D with the existing notion of Yes-No type of sustainable development. Mathematically, the core aim of this paper is to grade a development D in the continuous range [0,1] instead of the existing notion of grading in the discrete range {0, 1}. This work deals only with those type of developments which are completely constructed, not about reviewing the interim progress of them. The "Theory of α-Sustainable Development" is an open proposal to the 2030 Agenda meeting, and will surely enrich the policy of ESD for educating the present and future generation people and thus to retain the sustainability of our planet as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White Spot Disease (WSD) caused by White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), is responsible for widespread mortality and economic losses across almost the entire Asian shrimp farming industry. The distribution of disease prevalence is however uneven, and is likely dependent on a range of management, environmental and socio-ecological factors. In this study, 233 farms were surveyed in southwest Bangladesh, the main shrimp farming zone, to produce a dataset from a range of pond types, culture techniques and farming practices. Four categories of data (site/farm characteristics, environmental variables, disease history, and management variables) with associated risk factors were selected following the development of a conceptual framework and a participatory rural appraisal tool. Factors potentially contributing to WSD prevalence in the current shrimp crop were first screened using univariate analysis and subsequently analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression to highlight significant risk factors. Association of the selected factors with WSD prevalence was examined using multivariate stepwise removal. The multivariate analysis revealed that farms operated by a tenant worker (p: 0.03), mixed use of fertilizer (p: 0.009), poor quality water source (p: 0.001), lack of reservoir for water purification (p: < 0.001), and frequent exchange of water during a single crop culture (p: < 0.001) were significantly associated with WSD prevalence. The results suggest that, where possible, better farm management practices including improving water quality, controlling water exchange and/or maintaining constant salinity, will reduce WSD prevalence. Unlabelled Image • WSD is responsible for widespread mortality and economic losses in shrimp farming. • Multivariate analysis of risk factors linked to shrimp farming (N = 233) were done. • Tenant worker operated farms using mixed fertilizers were more susceptible to WSD. • Moreover, poor quality, frequent exchange and lack of reservoir of water caused WSD. • Quality source, controlled exchange and constant salinity of water can reduce WSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]