Telematics as a Transformative Agent for the Zimbabwean Auto Insurance Ecosystem

Zimbabwe has witnessed the evolution of Information Communication Technology (ICT). The vehicle population soared to above 1.2 million hence rendering the Transport and Insurance domains complex. Therefore, there is a need to look at ways that can augment conventional Vehicular Management Information Systems (VMIS) in transforming business processes through Telematics. This paper aims to contextualise the role that telematics can play in transforming the Insurance Ecosystem in Zimbabwe. The main objective was to investigate the integration of Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) with vehicle tracking solutions provided by technology companies like Econet Wireless in Zimbabwe, aiming to align customer billing with individual risk profiles and enhance the synergy between technology and insurance service providers in the motor insurance ecosystem. A triangulation through structured interviews, questionnaires, and literature review, supported by Information Systems Analysis and Design techniques was conducted. The study adopted a case study approach, qualitatively analyzing the complexities of the Telematics insurance ecosystem in Zimbabwe, informed by the TOGAF framework. A case-study approach was applied to derive themes whilst applying within and cross-case analysis. Data was collected using questionnaires, and interviews. The findings of the research clearly show the importance of Telematics in modern-day insurance and the positive relationship between technology and insurance business performance. The study, therefore revealed how UBI can incentivize positive driver behavior, potentially reducing insurance premiums for safe drivers and lowering the incidence of claims against insurance companies. Future work can be done on studying the role of Telematics in combating highway crime and corruption.

A unified model for diagnosing energy usage abnormalities in regional integrated energy service systems

An integrated energy service company in an industrial park or commercial building is responsible for managing all energy sources in their local region, including electricity, water, gas, heating, and cooling. To reduce energy wastage and increase energy utilization, it is necessary to perform efficiency analyses and diagnoses on integrated energy systems(IESs). However, the integrated energy data necessary for energy efficiency analyses and diagnoses come from a wide variety of instruments, each of which uses different transmission protocols and data formats. This makes it challenging to handle energy-flow data in a unified manner. Thus, we have constructed a unified model for diagnosing energy usage abnormalities in IESs. Using this model, the data are divided into working days and non-working days, and benchmark values are calculated after the data have been weighted to enable unified analysis of several types of energy data. The energy-flow data may then be observed, managed, and compared in all aspects to monitor sudden changes in energy usage and energy wastage. The abnormal data identified and selected by the unified model are then subjected to big-data analysis using technical management tools, enabling the detection of user problems such as abnormalities pertaining to acquisition device, metering, and energy usage. This model facilitates accurate metering of energy data and improves energy efficiency. The study has significant implications in terms of fulfilling the energy saving.

Factors affecting mito-nuclear codon usage interactions in the OXPHOS system of Drosophila melanogaster

Codon usage bias varies considerably among genomes and even within the genes of the same genome. In eukaryotic organisms, energy production in the form of oxidative phosphorylation （OXPHOS） is the only process under control of both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Although factors affecting codon usage in a single genome have been studied, this has not occurred when both interactional genomes are involved. Consequently, we investigated whether or not other factors influence codon usage of coevolved genes. We used Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Our χ^2 test on the number of codons of nuclear and mitochondrial genes involved in the OXPHOS system was significantly different （χ^2= 7945.16, P 〈 0.01）. A plot of effective number of codons against GC3s content of nuclear genes showed that few genes lie on the expected curve, indicating that codon usage was random. Correspondence analysis indicated a significant correlation between axis 1 and codon adaptation index （R = 0.947, P 〈 0.01） in every nuclear gene sequence. Thus, codon usage bias of nuclear genes appeared to be affected by translational selection. Correlation between axis 1 coordinates and GC content （R = 0.814, P 〈 0.01） indicated that the codon usage of nuclear genes was also affected by GC composition. Analysis of mitochondrial genes did not reveal a significant correlation between axis 1 and any parameter. Statistical analyses indicated that codon usages of both nDNA and mtDNA were subjected to context-dependent mutations.

Financial literacy,behavioral traits,and ePayment adoption and usage in Japan

This study investigates how financial literacy and behavioral traits affect the adoption of electronic payment(ePayment)services in Japan.We construct a financial literacy index using a representative sample of 25,000 individuals from the Bank of Japan’s 2019 Financial Literacy Survey.We then analyze the relationship between this index and the extensive and intensive usage of two types of payment services:electronic money(e-money)and mobile payment apps.Using an instrumental variable approach,we find that higher financial literacy is positively associated with a higher likelihood of adopting ePayment services.The empirical results suggest that individuals with higher financial literacy use payment services more frequently.We also find that risk-averse people are less likely to adopt and use ePayment services,whereas people with herd behavior tend to adopt and use ePayment services more.Our empirical results also suggest that the effects of financial literacy on the adoption and use of ePayment differ among people with different behavioral traits.

Two-Way Approach for Improved Real-Time Transmission in Fog-IoT-Based Health Monitoring System for Critical Patients

Health monitoring systems are now required,particularly for essential patients,following the COVID-19 pandemic,which was followed by its variants and other epidemics of a similar nature.Effective procedures and strategies are required,though,to react promptly to the enormous volume of real-time data offered by monitoring equipment.Although fog-based designs for IoT health systems typically result in enhanced services,they also give rise to issues that need to be resolved.In this paper,we propose a two-way strategy to reduce network latency and usewhile increasing real-time data transmission of device gateways used for sensors by making educated judgments for connection setup with BS and task assignment.For this,a simulation using iFogSim in the Eclipse IDE showed how effective the suggested strategy for massive IoT healthmonitoring systems is.The algorithm is analyzed for network usage and latency,and the results reveal 20%–25%improvements compared to the existing methods regarding network usage and latency.

DEVELOPMENT AND USAGE OF SIGNAL PR OCESSING AND SOUND SITIMULATING SYSTEM CONTROLLED BY COMPUTER

In hearing physiological experiments and clinic tests,we need not only a signal processing system,but also a synchronous sound stimulator’ Most of stimulators we are now using are function generators which are independent to processing units,and can be controlled only by hand. Although some of them have ports through which they can be controlled by computer,but as they are designed for industrial aims,not for hearing research,most of them can’t generate the special waveforms we need. We use the TDT signal processing system and develop a software package have both usage. On the interface of the program we can control the sampling parameters and generate stimulating waveforms’

An Evaluation of Manure Management Strategies, Phosphorus Surface Runoff Potential and Water Usage at an Arkansas Discovery Dairy Farm

Manure management is an essential component of dairy production. Nutrient-laden, field-applied dairy manure often serves as a fertilizer source, but can also pose environmental threats if not properly managed. The Haak dairy farm, located in Decatur, Arkansas, was granted a permit by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to employ a unique method in treating and storing cattle manure generated during the milking process. This method includes minimizing water use in wash water, dry scraping solids to combine with sawdust for composting and pumping effluent underground into a sloped concrete basin that serves as secondary solid separator before transporting the manure effluent into an interception trench and an adjacent grassed field to facilitate manure nutrient uptake and retention. The Arkansas Discovery Farm program (ADF) is conducting research to evaluate the environmental performance of the dairy’s milk center wash water treatment system (MCWW) by statistical analysis, characterization of phosphorus (P) migration in soil downslope from the inception trench, temperature measurements, and nutrient analysis of a stored dry stack manure/sawdust mixture. Goals included determining possible composting effectiveness along with comparisons to untreated dairy manure and quantifying the use of on-farm water. Results from this research demonstrated that: 1) The MCWW was effective at retaining manure-derived nutrients and reducing field nutrient migration as the MCWW interception trench had significantly higher total nitrogen (TN) (804.2 to 4.1), total phosphorus (TP) (135.6 to 1.5), and water extractable phosphorus (WEP) (55.0 to 1.0) concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg⋅L-1) than the downhill freshwater pond respectively;2) temperature readings of the manure dry stack indicated heightened levels of microbial and thermal activity, but did not reach a standard composting temperature of 54°C;3) manure dry stack nutrient content was typically higher than untreated dairy manure when measured on a “dry basis” in ppm, but was lower on an “as is basis” in ppm and kg/metric ton;and 4) water meter readings showed that the greatest use of on-farm water was for farm-wide cattle drinking (18.77), followed by water used in the milking center (3.45) and then followed by human usage (0.02) measured in cubic meters per day (m3⋅d-1). These results demonstrate that practical innovations in agricultural engineering and environmental science, such as the Haak dairy’s manure treatment system, can effectively reduce environmental hazards that accompany the management of manure at this dairy operation.

The Evaluation of Social Sharing Nets Users’ Fundamental Principals According to Nickname Usage and Time Spent

This work;It was made to determine the positive and negative usage information, attitudes and behaviors of social networking networks for users. Today, it is well known how the wide social effects of social networking sites are widespread and effective. As far as it can be followed from written and visual media, it causes significant damages for attitudes and behaviors for individuals. Looking at the results of the study, it seems impossible to limit the time and necessity of these networks for people, but it is understood that people force their limits and capacity. It was determined that the general acceptance and rejection areas are mixed and the dominant distinctive effects were weakened. Unable to prevent social dissolution and deterioration was realized by these social networks of networks. However, we cannot only talk about negative effects because their positive effects should be mentioned. Data were obtained in this direction. For example, some segments encourage the users of these sites to have more freedom, to develop democracy and human rights awareness. However, the real problem is when and where to stand. This study;Social networking networks use information, attitudes and behaviors;It was carried out for the purpose of evaluating the use of nicknames and networks for the use of networks. The data of the study were obtained by the application of a questionnaire and the data obtained were analyzed with appropriate statistical analysis methods. In the first part of the study, field study/operational concept scanning is performed and theoretical information is included. In the second part, the purpose of the study, the problem status, the importance of the study, limitations, assumptions, problem question, research method, research universe and sample are specified and informed. In the third section, the data obtained using appropriate statistical methods are analyzed. In the last section, some important suggestions and comments are made in the light of the data obtained.

基于Usage Metrics的中文学术论文用户平台偏好和兴趣偏好比较研究

研究中文学术论文用户使用模式有助于分析使用规律,为应用决策提供依据。本文以八个学科被CSSCI或CSCD收录的61本开放获取期刊发表于2014—2015年的学术论文为样本,以期刊官网和信息集成平台上的使用数据为来源,采用Usage Metrics的方法,从用户平台偏好和用户兴趣偏好两方面比较中文学术论文的用户使用模式。研究发现:(1)期刊官网与信息集成平台的用户平台偏好存在差异。一是从学科视角看,用户整体上倾向于使用期刊官网而不是信息集成平台获取所需论文,而社会科学的信息集成平台篇均下载次数均大于自然科学。二是从期刊视角看,社会科学用户比自然科学用户更倾向于使用信息集成平台获取所需论文;与信息集成平台相比,期刊官网的用户下载数据呈现更为明显的"两级分化"现象;期刊官网下载次数与信息集成平台下载次数整体上的相关性较低。(2)期刊官网与信息集成平台的用户兴趣偏好存在差异。每本期刊官网和信息集成平台下载次数前20%的学术论文的Jaccard相似系数较低;在所列举的图书馆、情报与文献学中,期刊官网与信息集成平台的用户关注主题不同。

Web Usage Mining技术在E-learning中的应用

E—learning取得成功的关键是能否跟踪学员的浏览行为 ,为他们提供个性化的服务 ,WebUsageMining技术使这些成为可能。本文探讨和研究了WebUsageMining技术在E

Epidemiological Surveillance: Genetic Diversity of Rotavirus Group A in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong, China in 2019

Objective This study aimed to understand the epidemic status and phylogenetic relationships of rotavirus group A(RVA)in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province,China.Methods This study included individuals aged 28 days–85 years.A total of 706 stool samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis collected between January 2019 and January 2020 were analyzed for 17 causative pathogens,including RVA,using a Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel,followed by genotyping,virus isolation,and complete sequencing to assess the genetic diversity of RVA.Results The overall RVA infection rate was 14.59%(103/706),with an irregular epidemiological pattern.The proportion of co-infection with RVA and other pathogens was 39.81%(41/103).Acute gastroenteritis is highly prevalent in young children aged 0–1 year,and RVA is the key pathogen circulating in patients 6–10 months of age with diarrhea.G9P[8](58.25%,60/103)was found to be the predominant genotype in the RVA strains,and the 41 RVA-positive strains that were successfully sequenced belonged to three different RVA genotypes in the phylogenetic analysis.Recombination analysis showed that gene reassortment events,selection pressure,codon usage bias,gene polymorphism,and post-translational modifications(PTMs)occurred in the G9P[8]and G3P[8]strains.Conclusion This study provides molecular evidence of RVA prevalence in the Pearl River Delta region of China,further enriching the existing information on its genetics and evolutionary characteristics and suggesting the emergence of genetic diversity.Strengthening the surveillance of genotypic changes and gene reassortment in RVA strains is essential for further research and a better understanding of strain variations for further vaccine development.

对高中英语“Grammar and usage”展示课的反思

以牛津英语模块1 Unit1 Grammar and usage展示课为例,从Grammar and usage板块的教学意义、教学现状、课堂教学策略三个方面反思Grammar and usage展示课。

Patterns of synonymous codon usage bias in chloroplast genomes of seed plants

Codon usage in chloroplast genome of six seed plants （Arabidopsis thaliana, Populus alba, Zea mays, Triticum aestivum, Pinus koraiensis and Cycas taitungensis） was analyzed to find general patterns of codon usage in chloroplast genomes of seed plants. The results show that chloroplast genomes of the six seed plants had similar codon usage patterns, with a strong bias towards a high representation of NNA and NNT codons. In chloroplast genomes of the six seed plants, the effective number of codons （ENC） for most genes was similar to that of the expected ENC based on the GC content at the third codon position, but several genes with low ENC values were laying below the expected curve. All of these data indicate that codon usage was dominated by a mutational bias in chloroplast genomes of seed plants and that selection appeared to be limited to a subset of genes and to only subtly affect codon usage. Meantime, four, six, eight, nine, ten and 12 codons were defined as the optimal codons in chloroplast genomes of the six seed plants.

Deciphering codon usage patterns and evolutionary forces in chloroplast genes of Camellia sinensis var. assamica and Camellia sinensis var. sinensis in comparison to Camellia pubicosta

Codon usage bias(CUB) is a unique property of genome which refers to non-random usage of synonymous codons in coding sequences. The present study makes an attempt to find out the pattern of CUB in chloroplast(cp) genes among three tea species, i.e., Camellia sinensis var. assamica(Assam tea), Camellia sinensis var. sinensis(Chinese tea) and Camellia pubicosta(wild tea species) as no work on CUB was reported earlier. To understand the patterns of codon usage among the cp genes of three tea groups, we used bioinformatic tools to investigate the protein coding sequences of cp genes. In our present study, the mean nucleobase T was the highest whereas C was the lowest in all the three tea groups. The overall AT content was more than GC content, i.e., genes were AT rich. The scaled chi-square(SCS) value indicated that the CUB of cp genes was low. The codon CGT(Arg) was over-represented in C. sinensis var. sinensis whereas GGA(Pro) was over-represented in C. pubicosta species. Heatmap study revealed that most of the GC ending codons showed positive correlations between codon usage and GC3 while AT ending codons exhibited negative correlations. From neutrality plot analysis, it was evident that natural selection had played a major role, while mutation pressure exerted a minor effect in the CUB of cp genes in three tea groups. Highly significant(P<0.01) positive correlation was found between SCS and synonymous codon usage order(SCUO) of cp genes which suggested that high expression of cp genes was associated with high degree of CUB.

Genome-wide analysis of the synonymous codon usage patterns in apple

Apple（Malus×domestica） has been proposed as an important woody plant and the major cultivated fruit trees in temperate regions. Apple whole genome sequencing has been completed, which provided an excellent opportunity for genome-wide analysis of the synonymous codon usage patterns. In this study, a multivariate bioinformatics analysis was performed to reveal the characteristics of synonymous codon usage and the main factors affecting codon bias in apple. The neutrality, correspondence, and correlation analyses were performed by Codon W and SPSS（Statistical Product and Service Solutions） programs, indicating that the apple genome codon usage patterns were affected by mutational pressure and selective constraint. Meanwhile, coding sequence length and the hydrophobicity of proteins could also influence the codon usage patterns. In short, codon usage pattern analysis and determination of optimal codons has laid an important theoretical basis for genetic engineering, gene prediction and molecular evolution studies in apple.

Synonymous codon usage pattern in model legume Medicago truncatula

Synonymous codon usage pattern presumably reflects gene expression optimization as a result of molecular evolution. Though much attention has been paid to various model organisms ranging from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, codon usage has yet been extensively investigated for model legume Medicago truncatula. In present study, 39 531 available coding sequences （CDSs） from M. truncatula were examined for codon usage bias （CUB）. Based on analyses including neutrality plots, effective number of codons plots, and correlations between optimal codons frequency and codon adaptation index, we conclude that natural selection is a major driving force in M. truncatula CUB. We have identified 30 optimal codons encoding 18 amino acids based on relative synonymous codon usage. These optimal codons characteristically end with A or T, except for AGG and TTG encoding arginine and leucine respectively. Optimal codon usage is positively correlated with the GC content at three nucleotide positions of codons and the GC content of CDSs. The abundance of expressed sequence tag is a proxy for gene expression intensity in the legume, but has no relatedness with either CDS length or GC content. Collectively, we unravel the synonymous codon usage pattern in M. truncatula, which may serve as the valuable information on genetic engineering of the model legume and forage crop.

Effects of Community Community Communication Technology(ICT) Usage on Community Satisfaction: Case Study in Nanjing, China

Future or smart community, which mainly refers to the development of community information and communication technology(ICT) platforms or devices, has received considerable attention from urban governments and scholars. However, only a few studies have been conducted to test the actual effects of using these community ICT platforms or devices on the community satisfaction of residents. Therefore, the present study conducts a survey in 40 communities in Nanjing, China and uses a mixed linear regression model to determine the relationship between community ICT usage and community satisfaction. Results indicate that residents with high-level community ICT usage are more satisfied with their community than those with low-level community ICT usage. Moreover, evident differences are observed regarding the influence of new commodity, old commodity and affordable housing communities in Nanjing. These findings are meaningful for the construction and development of future communities.

Analysis of Codon Usage Pattern of Banana Basic Secretory Protease Gene

[Objective] The objective of this study was to understand the codon usage bias pattern of banana pathogenesis-related 17 gene, Basic Secretory Protease gene(MaBSP). [Method] Relative codon usage patterns of MaBSP were calculated using the software CodonW version 1.4.2. and the web-based tool(http://kazusa.or.jp/codon/).[Result] Our findings showed that C-ended and G-ended codons were the most preferential except the TER codon UGA which was coded for by just one codon. The ENc value, relationship between AT bias and GC bias, Random synonymous codon usage(RSCU) and CAI all showed that codon bias usage existed in MaBSP gene.[Conclusion] The codon usage patterns of MaBSP gene is principally influenced by natural selection in the third position. However, other multiple factors also influence this pattern.

Curtailing Carbon Usage with Addition of Functionalized NiFe2O4 Quantum Dots:Toward More Practical S Cathodes for Li-S Cells

Smartcombination of manifold carbonaceous materials with admirable functionalities(like full of pores/functional groups,high specific surface area) is still a mainstream/preferential way to address knotty issues of polysulfides dissolution/shuttling and poor electrical conductivity for S-based cathodes.However,extensive use of conductive carbon fillers in cell designs/technology would induce electrolytic overconsumption and thereby shelve high-energy-density promise of Li-S cells.To cut down carbon usage,we propose the incorporation of multi-functionalized NiFe2O4 quantum dots(QDs) as affordable additive substitutes.The total carbon content can be greatly curtailed from 26%(in traditional S/C cathodes) to a low/commercial mass ratio(~5%).Particularly,note that NiFe2O4 QDs additives own superb chemisorption interactions with soluble Li2Sn molecules and proper catalytic features facilitating polysulfide phase conversions and can also strengthen charge-transfer capability/redox kinetics of overall cathode systems.Benefiting from these intrinsic properties,such hybrid cathodes demonstrate prominent rate behaviors(decent capacity retention with ~526 mAh g^-1 even at 5 A g^-1) and stable cyclic performance in LiNO3-free electrolytes(only ~0.08% capacity decay per cycle in 500 cycles at 0.2 A g^-1).This work may arouse tremendous research interest in seeking other alternative QDs and offer an economical/more applicable methodology to construct low-carbon-content electrodes for practical usage.

Status and ethno-medicinal usage of invasive plants in traditional health care practices: a case study from northeastern Bangladesh

Species diversity and ethno-medicinal usage of 39 species of invasive plants were explored in and around two protected areas, Khadimnagar National Park （KNP） and Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctu- ary （RKWS）, of northeastern Bangladesh,. Status of invasive plants were investigated in 60 sample plots with 5 different habitat types, including forest, roadside, homestead, fallow land and others （ponds, canals, water logged areas, agricultural land, etc.）. Data about the usage of invasive plants in traditional health care were collected through interviewing 110 households. Among the five habitat types, fallow land （28 species）.possessed the highest number of species, followed by roadside （25 species）, forest （23 species）, homestead （22 species） and others （13 species）. Based on the survey, invasive plants of study areas were also categorized into five degrees of invasiveness e.g., naturalized, introduced, possibly invasive, moderately invasive and highly invasive. Additionally, there is the linear trend between degrees of invasivaness and use percentage of invasive plants. Total 39 species of invasive plants belonging to 29 families were recorded, which are generally used to treat 37 diseases, ranging from simple headache to highly complicated eye and heart diseases. The majority of the species used by the local inhabitants were herbs （16 species）, followed by some shrubs （11 species）, climbers （5 species）, trees （5 species） and grasses （2 species）. The use percentage of aboveground plant parts were higher （70.58%） than that of underground plant parts （16.18%）.