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Small-scale farmers in Bangladesh aquaculture face multiple challenges. Among these challenges are the inadequate supply of quality seed, limited credit access, poor availability of quality fish feed, land-use conflicts, the adverse effects of climate change, and the low adoption of best aquaculture management practices. These challenges spiral into low productivity, low incomes, and low food security of households. Extension has been seen as an important tool for technology and knowledge transfer, resulting in increased farm productivity and household food security. However, small-scale aquaculture farmers in Bangladesh lack access to critical extension service needed to improve productivity and their livelihoods. Using Propensity Score Matching, we test whether more decentralized extension systems yield similar food security outcomes as traditional extension models. Analysing data from 1,017 respondent, we find that decentralized extension models lead to improved food security of aquaculture households compared to non-beneficiaries. We recommend among others, the critical need to synergize extension systems, reduce costs and better target aquaculture farmers. Additionally, public-private partnerships can help leverage strengths from various extension approaches for more effective knowledge dissemination to aquaculture farmers, ultimately enhancing their livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threats associated with a changing climate elevate our collective need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Airlines are committed to reduce emissions by transitioning to sustainable aviation fuel. To build a thriving domestic bioeconomy, United States (US) federal agencies are promoting public–private partnerships (PPPs) to link public universities with industries to support local feedstock development and commercialization. Using an Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) framework, we explore a PPP in the Southeast US that aims to support the production of a regional biofuel feedstock, Brassica carinata. Utilizing a two-phased qualitative methodology, we analyse the kinds of risk posed to public and private actors in the partnership. The study highlights the reputational, commercial, and mission-related risks posed to actors engaged in innovation systems. In doing so, we offer a discussion of risks and their implications for PPPs, AIS, and future food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This proof‐of‐concept study presents findings from the Illinois Strong Couples project, a statewide initiative to disseminate an efficacious couple relationship education (CRE) program through a state Cooperative Extension System. Background: Among family scholars, federally funded initiatives to disseminate CRE programming to couples have received strong support as well as equally strong opposition. The current study describes and evaluates a new dissemination approach designed to satisfy concerns from both sides of this debate. Method: The sample comprised 340 individuals (170 couples) who participated in the online ePREP program with remote coaching and completed three survey assessments over 6 months. Results: Significant short‐ and long‐term improvements were observed in multiple dimensions of relationship functioning (e.g., declines in communication conflict, relationship instability concerns) and individual functioning (e.g., declines in psychological distress, sleep problems). Effect sizes, in general, were medium for relationship outcomes and small for individual outcomes. Greater attendance forecasted greater gains in relationship outcomes, particularly for men. Changes over time were generally similar irrespective of household income and, when evident, indicated greater improvement for lower‐income women compared to higher income. Conclusion: Findings highlight the ability to disseminate effectively an evidence‐based CRE program within a state Extension system. Implications: This project illustrates a sustainable and potentially scalable strategy to disseminate CRE programming that can complement other approaches for CRE dissemination as a means to promote relationship and individual well‐being among help‐seeking couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let F g be the closed orientable surface of genus g. We address the problem to extend torsion elements of the mapping class group ℳ (F g) over the 4-sphere S 4 . Let w g be a torsion element of maximum order in ℳ (F g). Results including: (1) For each g , w g is periodically extendable over S 4 for some non-smooth embedding e : F g → S 4 , and not periodically extendable over S 4 for any smooth embedding e : F g → S 4 . (2) For each g , w g is extendable over S 4 for some smooth embedding e : F g → S 4 if and only if g = 4 k , 4 k + 3. (3) Each torsion element of order p in ℳ (F g) is extendable over S 4 for some smooth embedding e : F g → S 4 if either (i) p = 3 m and g is even; or (ii) p = 5 m and g ≠ 4 k + 2 ; or (iii) p = 7 m . Moreover, the conditions on g in (i) and (ii) cannot be removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People living in situations of homelessness and drug use experience significant barriers when seeking to access services in the Danish welfare state. Yet rarely are journeys to services examined in depth with attention to the factors that may either support or prevent their completion. Towards this aim, the article employs a ‘service journey’ approach by unfolding an ethnographic case study of a service journey pieced together at the street-level. This is achieved through the collective efforts of outreach workers and a man encountered at a drug consumption room in urgent need of medication. The article highlights the role of serendipity in the construction of such ‘street-level’ service journeys. It thus shows how possibilities for initiating or pushing a particular service journey forward occur through serendipitous outreach encounters. Further, it is shown how service journeys of unstably housed people who use drugs are both conditioned by and come up against other shifting everyday ‘itineraries’ of clients as they seek to piece together a living at the urban margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relative Rota–Baxter groups are generalizations of Rota–Baxter groups and share a close connection with skew left braces. These structures are well-known for offering bijective non-degenerate set-theoretical solutions to the Yang–Baxter equation. This paper builds upon the recently introduced extension theory and low-dimensional cohomology of relative Rota–Baxter groups. We prove an analogue of the Hochschild–Serre exact sequence for central extensions of relative Rota–Baxter groups. We introduce the Schur multiplier M R R B (A) of a relative Rota–Baxter group A = (A , B , β , T) , and prove that the exponent of M R R B (A) divides | A | | B | when both A and B are finite. We define weak isoclinism of relative Rota–Baxter groups, introduce their Schur covers, and prove that any two Schur covers of a finite bijective relative Rota–Baxter group are weakly isoclinic. The results align with recent results of Letourmy and Vendramin for skew left braces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Geoscientica Sinica is the property of Acta Geoscientica Sinica Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study assessed the influence of socio-economic variables and extension inhibitors on food sovereignty in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This study identified and proffered solutions to extension inhibitors to food sovereignty. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and twenty respondents used for the study. Data analysis comprised the use of percentages, frequency, means and Tobit regression model. The result of the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents showed that 27.50% of the respondents were from 41 and more years of age, while 25.00% were within the age range of 31 to 40 years. 8.33% of them were in the age brackets of 20 to 30 years. Majority of the farmers were very strong, agile and could adopt extension teaching methods easily. About 49.17% of the respondents were at tertiary level of education, while 23.32% had primary level of education. The result showed the mean (x") response rate of extension inhibitors on food sovereignty as follows; inadequacy of funds (x" = 4.65), use of poorly trained personnel (x" = 4.04), ineffective research extension linkage (x" =4.21), lack of evaluation (x" = 4.422), poor policy (x" = 4.04) among other factors. The hypothesis showed that gender, marital status and farm size were positive and significant at 1% level of probability. The result of the HO1, showed that any increase in farm size led to a corresponding increase in the probability and intensity of extension inhibitors on food sovereignty in the study area. Also, the coefficient of education was positively signed but not significant. This showed that education though very important but had no severe influence on the extension inhibitors. In the result, there was significant relationship between socio-economic variables and extension inhibitors on food sovereignty in the study area. The study concluded that some of the inhibitors of extension on food sovereignty are; inadequate funding, lack of extension service evaluation on food sovereignty situations, ineffective research extension linkage and use of poorly trained personnel. The study also concluded that majority of the farmers are of age and well educated to positively influence extension inhibitors with the view to improving food sovereignty situations in the study area. It was recommended that women being the majority in the study area should be involved in extension activities and evaluation, with a view to improving on food sovereignty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to avoid the cycle of communication and self, we explore the symbolic-linguistic properties of communication. Interaction is seen as symbolic interaction, but symbols, as the result of intentional construction, are realized within the self, not interacting but acting. Of course, language is used in communication, but phenomenological linguistics believe that essence is self-forming, and commonality is the guarantee of communication, so we may not need to communicate. Derrida, on the other hand, argues that communication and language do not guarantee their origin, but rather the indefinite playfulness of freedom in the context of complementarity and "differance". Wittgenstein, on the other hand, argues that language games also have rules, and that they are arbitrarily generated norms in the use of human language. Languages are communications. Communications have various uses in the human lifestyles: symbolic interaction, essential commonality or as language are all uses of communication. Unlimited usage, no loop and self-closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keynes extended his Principle of Effective Demand (PED), which explains how effective demand determines employment, to cover changes in effective demand and, inter alia, their price and output effects. However, owing to Keynes's poor presentation and Friedman's critique, the latter extension failed to gain traction, thwarting a fuller realization of the PED's potential as a fundamental macroeconomic principle. According to Friedman, Keynes's equation is a tautology, and ad hoc in its application. The paper demonstrates that Keynes obtained his equation in the form he did not because he was manipulating identities, but because his theory drew on the PED which requires that employment and output be substantively determined as functions of effective demand in wage units. His equation is therefore neither tautology nor ad hoc. It represents a genuine extension of the applicability of Keynes's Principle of Effective Demand, and opens a potentially useful line of enquiry in macroeconomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermobarometry in the Northern Snake Range metamorphic core complex (Nevada, USA) implies pre‐extensional burial of footwall rocks to 21–30 km depths, while geologic field relationships support 7–13 km pre‐extensional depths. This has fueled a 40‐year‐long debate, which has far‐reaching implications for how pressure data are interpreted in orogenic settings. Here, we test published models for deep burial by integrating regional cross‐section reconstructions with new (n = 95) and published (n = 132) peak temperature measurements, field relationships and published geophysical data. Burial of Neoproterozoic‐Cambrian metasedimentary footwall rocks to 21–30 km depths is incompatible with a regional seismic reflection cross‐section that interprets the top of Precambrian crystalline basement at 17–20 km depths. Two reconstructed cross‐sections define 42 km and 50–65 km of displacement on the master detachment fault and demonstrate that the higher displacement ranges (>66–94 km and >76–102 km, respectively) necessary to exhume rocks from 21 to 30 km depths are not possible without spatially overlapping Cambrian rocks preserved in its footwall and hanging wall. The 22°C/km average Late Cretaceous thermal gradient predicted by thermobarometry is incompatible with the 46 ± 10°C/km Late Cretaceous peak thermal gradient that we calculate down to 15–20 km pre‐extensional depths. Field relationships that rule out large‐magnitude shortening invalidate models for deep footwall burial via thrust or reverse faulting. We conclude that there is no scenario for deep burial that is compatible with structural/geophysical constraints, crustal thermal architecture, and field relationships. This necessitates a non‐lithostatic interpretation for pressures from the Northern Snake Range, similar to recent interpretations for other Cordilleran metamorphic core complexes. Key Points: Strain compatibility demonstrates that the detachment displacement necessary to exhume footwall rocks from 21 to 30 km depths is not possibleThe 22°C/km gradient predicted by thermobarometry is incompatible with the Late Cretaceous thermal gradient of 46 ± 10°C/km that we calculateA non‐lithostatic interpretation for pressure data from the Northern Snake Range is required, similar to other Cordilleran core complexes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural extension services (AES) positively foster agricultural sustainability through knowledge transfer of agricultural technologies, hence enhancing household food security among the rural poor. However, information on farmers’ satisfaction with AES is limited in many areas within Kenya, although these services have been offered to farmers for decades. This study assessed smallholder farmers’ satisfaction with AES in Embu County in Kenya and identified its associated household demographic, socio-economic, and institutional determinants. Data were collected from 396 farmers using a structured interview schedule through a cross-sectional survey with a multistage stratified sampling procedure. Data analyses were performed using the Cumulative Link Mixed Models (CLMMs) with a random effect for the village ID to adjust the results for the correlation of farmers’ satisfaction within the village. This study revealed that 10.1%, 38.6%, 43.2%, and 8.1% of the farmers were very satisfied, moderately satisfied, moderately dissatisfied and very dissatisfied with AES, respectively. The results of the multivariate CLMM analysis identified education level, off-farm income, the land tenure system, frequent extension contact, and access to credit as significant determinants of farmers’ satisfaction with AES. The findings will help policy makers and extension workers to develop context-specific AES that take into account farmers’ extension needs, thereby improving the AES delivery system and enhancing agricultural development in the area.

[Display omitted] • 209–207 Ma gabbros were reported in the East Kunlun Orogen. • Apparent subduction signatures inheriting from the metasomatized mantle. • A post-collisional extensional tectonic setting is suggested for their causes. • The East Kunlun Orogen underwent a lithospheric delamination in the Late Triassic. The East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (E-KOB) evolved into an extensional tectonic setting with plenty of mafic magmatism after the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. However, the deep tectonic system and geodynamic processes in this context still need further clarification. The detailed field geological, petrological, geochronological and geochemical works carried out on the Yeniugou gabbros in this study could provide key evidence for clarifying this issue. The gabbros are predominantly composed of clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, plagioclase, olivine and ilmenite. Zircon U–Pb dating results suggest that their formation at ca. 209–207 Ma. Characterized by a relatively low SiO 2 content and a moderate total alkaline content, these rocks are classified as alkalic to subalkaline series. High values of Mg# (42.2–59.4) and high concentrations of compatible elements (V, Cr, Co, Ni) suggest that their parent magma was generated through high partial melting of a lithospheric mantle source. The left-leaning rare earth element distribution patterns, combined with the characteristic spikes of Nb-Ta, indicate that they were originated from the lithospheric mantle metasomatized by subducting components. The positive zircon ε Hf (t) values (0.1–5.7), along with elevated Nb/La ratios (0.45–0.67), further confirm a small amount of asthenosphere mantle contribution. Elevated Zr/Y ratios, plus a slightly positive correlation between Al z and TiO 2 in clinopyroxene, imply that they formed within an extensional setting, where the upwelling of the asthenospheric mantle provided heat for partial melting of the metasomatic lithospheric mantle. Combined with previous data, we suggest that E-KOB underwent delamination of thickened lithosphere in the late Triassic, following the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciencia y Poder Aéreo is the property of Escuela de Postgrados de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: The assessment of seal pressure or leak pressure in supraglottic devices has commonly been used to confirm device functionality and for research purposes regarding laryngeal mask airways (LMAs). When used for controlled ventilation, the LMA Protector provides a better oropharyngeal seal pressure. Materials and Methods: In this cross-over study, thirty-five patients of either sex, aged 18 to 70 years, American Society of Anaesthesiology (ASA) class I and II, with a weight range of 50-70 kg, scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia where a supraglottic airway device was indicated, were enrolled. In all 35 patients, the position of the patient’s head and neck was changed from neutral to flexion, extension, and right and left lateral rotation. The primary objective of the study was to compare the differences in oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP) with changes in head and neck positions using the LMA Protector airway device. Results: The mean age of the participants was 42.26 years, and the average weight was 63.34 kg. The LMA Protector was placed in 18 females and 17 males. A Mallampati grade of I was noted in 16 patients, while a grade of II was observed in 19 patients. The OLP achieved in this study was higher, providing adequate ventilation and oxygenation in all positions. The OLP and tidal volume in flexion were higher compared to the seal pressure in the neutral position (31.89 cm H2O, SD 5.080 cm H2O vs. 34.49 cm H2O, SD 4.804 cm H2O, p

We propose that in pictures both the extended limbs of actors and the ground are involved in gestalts for movement. Limbs extend to suggest more motion literally when a dancer is in air and refer to a canonical pose when on the ground. A running pony’s curled limbs off the ground depict fast action literally. A horse’s flying-gallop off the ground suggests speedy motion metaphorically. Cast shadows indicate the actor’s location with respect to the ground. We consider extended and curled limbs, on-ground and off, in literal and metaphoric pictures.

Knowledge about how producers subjectively assess and communicate about different information resources can help optimize Agricultural Extension efforts. In particular, how do growers use different information resources when making decisions on pest and disease management? Using pest and disease management in wine grapes (Vitis vinifera) as a case study, three surveys were conducted among grape producers in the western United States to qualitatively explore resource options (n = 15), examine the relative importance of the 23 different information resources identified (n = 63), and investigate the social networks where information is passed within and between regions (n = 65). Five different informational archetypes emerged, demonstrating different preferences for information resource use, which explained 66% of the variance in survey responses. Personal connections (e.g., discussion with professional network, with field foreman and supervisors, and with an Extension agent) were extremely important to the participants. In the communication network analysis, 65 participants were used to form a 324-actor network with 448 links, which were then subdivided into intra-state networks. The networks show evidence of structures that facilitate information diffusion and cooperation between independent producers. Additionally, even with networks much smaller than the grape producer populations in these states, influential individuals could be identified. These individuals, when targeted by outreach professionals, could assist with information dissemination and facilitate changes in opinion or behaviors in the region. [Figure: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 “No Rights Reserved” license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2024.

Despite the huge potential of aquaculture in the Amazon, several producers have abandoned the activity due to a lack of assistance, technology, and innovation. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify factors that have contributed to the withdrawal of aquaculturists from the municipality of ‘Vigia de Nazaré’, state of Pará (Northern Region of Brazil). This case study took place in 2022 through a quanti-qualitative survey, applying structured questionnaires to former aquaculturists. A total of 30 fish farms were investigated, with 11 of them being abandoned. They are distributed across 10 rural communities that have developed fish farming, with ‘Vila de Itapuá’ (18.2%) being the most representative. When active, fish farming was practiced by men (100%) aged between 51 to 60 years (54.5%) with an incomplete primary education (100%), who carried out the activity for an average of 5 years (81.8%), quitting fish farming between the years 2019 and 2020 (72.7%). All former aquaculturists owned small properties, with excavated ponds in an extensive system and used family labor. The absence of technical assistance and the high cost of feed were pointed out as the main problems in the production chain. It is worth noting that the monoculture of Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) accounted for 63.6% of the species produced in rural communities. In conclusion, former aquaculturists express the desire to return to fish farming due to its socio-economic importance. For this, government actions supporting technical assistance and advanced studies in fish nutrition by educational, research, and extension institutions are necessary.

Abstract Background Compliant pneumatic actuators possess many characteristics that are desirable for wearable robotic systems. These actuators can be lightweight, integrated with clothing, and accommodate uncontrolled degrees of freedom. These attributes are especially desirable for hand exoskeletons, where the soft actuator can conform to the highly variable digit shape. In particular, locating the pneumatic actuator on the palmar side of the digit may have benefits for assisting finger extension and resisting unwanted finger flexion, but this configuration requires suppleness to allow digit flexion while retaining sufficient stiffness to assist extension. Methods To meet these needs, we designed an actuator consisting of a hollow chamber long enough to span the joints of each digit while sufficiently narrow not to inhibit finger adduction. We explored the geometrical design parameter space for this chamber in terms of shape, dimensions, and wall thickness. After fabricating an elastomer-based prototype for each actuator design, we measured active extension force and passive resistance to bending for each chamber using a mechanical jig. We also created a finite element model for each chamber to enable estimation of the impact of chamber deformation, caused by joint rotation, on airflow through the chamber. Finally, we created a prototype hand exoskeleton with the chamber parameters yielding the best outcomes. Results A rectangular cross-sectional area was preferable to a semi-obround shape for the chamber; wall thickness also impacted performance. Extension joint torque reached 0.33 N-m at a low chamber pressure of 48.3 kPa. The finite element model confirmed that airflow for the rectangular chamber remained high despite deformation resulting from joint rotation. The hand exoskeleton created with the rectangular chambers enabled rapid movement, with a cycle time of 1.1 s for voluntary flexion followed by actuated extension. Conclusions The developed soft actuators are feasible for use in promoting finger extension from the palmar side of the hand. This placement utilizes pushing rather than pulling for digit extension, which is more comfortable and safer. The small chamber volumes allow rapid filling and evacuation to facilitate relatively high frequency finger movements.

Leibniz algebras are non-antisymmetric generalizations of Lie algebras. In this paper, we investigate the properties of complete Leibniz algebras under certain conditions on their extensions. Additionally, we explore the properties of derivations and direct sums of Leibniz algebras, proving several results analogous to those in Lie algebras.

Opinion leaders play a significant role in promoting innovation and technology adoption through effective information dissemination to potential adopters. However, personal traits that define effective opinion leaders, as identified in existing literature, may not fully align with followers' desired attributes of an opinion leader. Additionally, little is known about how varying degrees of influence may impact the spread of knowledge. To bridge the gap, first, we conducted focus group discussions in 10 villages within the banana farming community in Rwanda to assess the critical attributes that farmers seek in opinion leaders. Results indicate that honesty, commitment, social, knowledge, and leading by example are the top five attributes that farmers value the most from an opinion leader for the control of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt – a major banana disease. Second, we collected data from 100 nominated opinion leaders, including 10 farmer promoters, using a structured questionnaire to determine how they transmit knowledge about disease management to farmers. The opinion leaders were categorised into low, medium, and high levels of influence based on pairwise comparison. We found that honesty, leading by example, and justice are significant attributes that distinguish opinion leaders with a higher level of influence and who are more effective in transmitting knowledge. Farmer promoters are not distinct from other opinion leaders in terms of access to farmers but are more active in knowledge transmission than any other opinion leader. Our results suggest that having access to farmers does not indicate influence. Therefore, we recommend engaging those farmer promoters and opinion leaders with a higher level of influence to disseminate information to farmers at the village level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Start Strong, a 4-week culinary nutrition education and obesity prevention program designed for rural family care providers in low-income areas of Minnesota, was initially an in-person training program and was recently adapted into a virtual version. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined within-group and between-group (in-person versus virtual) changes in culinary skill confidence and familiarity with food assistance programs after Start Strong participation. Additionally, we examined post-program participant experiences. The in-person program (n = 12, mean age of 45 years, September 2019) took place at community locations. The virtual program (n = 27, mean age of 41 years, Fall 2021–Winter 2022) used online learning and videoconferencing. Following data collection pre- and post-program, we used t-tests to examine within-group changes after Start Strong participation, repeated measures analysis of variance tests to compare outcomes between the in-person and virtual implementations, and Fisher's exact test to compare post-survey outcomes. The in-person and virtual programs demonstrated similar improvements in cooking skill confidence and familiarity with food assistance programs. Compared to the virtual program, in-person participants reported significantly greater connection with other providers. This evaluation is relevant to addressing disparities in obesity prevention and provides an initial model for public health and community partnerships with ECE providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the huge potential of aquaculture in the Amazon, several producers have abandoned the activity due to a lack of assistance, technology, and innovation. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify factors that have contributed to the withdrawal of aquaculturists from the municipality of 'Vigia de Nazaré', state of Pará (Northern Region of Brazil). This case study took place in 2022 through a quanti-qualitative survey, applying structured questionnaires to former aquaculturists. A total of 30 fish farms were investigated, with 11 of them being abandoned. They are distributed across 10 rural communities that have developed fish farming, with 'Vila de Itapuá' (18.2%) being the most representative. When active, fish farming was practiced by men (100%) aged between 51 to 60 years (54.5%) with an incomplete primary education (100%), who carried out the activity for an average of 5 years (81.8%), quitting fish farming between the years 2019 and 2020 (72.7%). All former aquaculturists owned small properties, with excavated ponds in an extensive system and used family labor. The absence of technical assistance and the high cost of feed were pointed out as the main problems in the production chain. It is worth noting that the monoculture of Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) accounted for 63.6% of the species produced in rural communities. In conclusion, former aquaculturists express the desire to return to fish farming due to its socio-economic importance. For this, government actions supporting technical assistance and advanced studies in fish nutrition by educational, research, and extension institutions are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended simple regions have been the focus of recent developments in philosophical logic, metaphysics, and philosophy of physics. However, only a handful of works provides a rigorous characterization of an extended simple region. In particular, a recent paper in this journal defends a definition based on an extrinsic notion of least distance. Call it the Least Distance proposal. This paper provides the first assessment of it. It argues that Least Distance faces difficulties and drawbacks. The paper then goes on to suggest a different proposal, the Diameter proposal that is able to handle such drawbacks and difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Collatz conjecture is an open problem involving the 3x +1 function. The function belongs to a class of generalized 3x + 1 functions of relatively prime type. This paper focuses on exploring periodic cycles for an extension of a generalized 3x + 1 function of relatively prime type. By extending its domain to R, the result shows that every integer periodic point is isolated in the usual topology on R. Moreover, every positive integer periodic cycle for the extension is attracting if the generalized 3x + 1 function is specified by parameters under some conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the rise of the Northern Andes in Cenozoic time, Triassic to Jurassic extensional basins in northwestern South America accommodated predominantly continental strata partly intercalated with volcanic rocks. Coeval plutonism is attributed to a magmatic arc related to the subduction of the Farallon plate beneath South America. The basins later became involved in the Andean orogeny and are now partially exposed in the Eastern Cordillera and Middle Magdalena Valley of Colombia. We have employed (U/Pb) geochronology on zircons from Triassic-Jurassic felsic to intermediate volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. Most of the ten samples have a substantial proportion of detrital zircons, but only three had no Mesozoic grains. The Mesozoic ages obtained range from ca. 201 Ma to ca. 177 Ma and overlap with published crystallization ages (K/Ar; Ar/Ar; U/Pb) from plutonic bodies. Volcanics from the Jordán and Girón formations are latest Triassic to Early Jurassic and synchronous with major plutonic activity. These ages constrain the early evolution of the extensional basins that formed from about the Triassic-Jurassic transition in an intra-arc position and facilitated the preservation of sediment and arc-derived volcanics. Middle Jurassic ages from the Noreán Fm. are synchronous with sparse plutonism west of the Middle Magdalena Valley. At this time, the magmatic arc had migrated westward, while intrusive activity in the Eastern Cordillera ceased. A geochemical rift signature only appears in scarce Early Cretaceous mafic intrusions that resumed magmatic activity in the Eastern Cordillera. This magmatism, now in a back-arc position, coincides with maximum subsidence of the large Cretaceous basin that extended across the older intra-arc rift basins. Extension and lithospheric thinning ceased by the end of the Early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the strong extension groups of Cuntz–Krieger algebras, and present a formula to compute the groups. We also detect the position of the Toeplitz extension of a Cuntz–Krieger algebra in the strong extension group and in the weak extension group to see that the weak extension group with the position of the Toeplitz extension is a complete invariant of the isomorphism class of the Cuntz–Krieger algebra associated with its transposed matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evolve strategies for improving female farmers’ access to selected agricultural input in rural areas of Ozubulu, Anambra State. Specifically, the study determined strategies for improving female farmers’ access to: land, credit, extension services, training and appropriate agricultural technologies. Four research questions guided the study. The study adopted a survey research design. The study involved 291 participants: 282 registered female farmers, seven agricultural extension workers, and two bank executives from microfinance banks in Ozubulu. No sampling was needed due to the manageable population size. Data were collected using questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The study identified nine strategies for improving female farmers’ access to land, including the abolition of cultural barriers that prevent women’s access to land(x̄= 3.52); 11 strategies for improving rural female farmers’ access to credit, such as access to loans at low interest rate(x̄= 3.38); eight strategies for improving access to extension services, like using mass media for information dissemination (x̄= 3.26); and nine strategies for access to agricultural technologies, such as providing agricultural research findings (x̄= 3.45). Recommendations include among others, enforcing policies to protect women's land rights for secure tenure and developing user-friendly manuals for agricultural technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anales del Seminario de Historia de la Filosofía is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tapping maple trees to produce maple syrup offers many benefits for producers. Since potential producers likely value some of these benefits more than others, communicators seeking to encourage more people to begin maple syrup production should use messaging that emphasizes the benefits that best resonate with potential producers. To test this strategy, known as emphasis message framing, we ran Facebook advertisements aimed at people living in Wisconsin, the fourth-leading U.S. state in annual maple syrup production, to test four message frames: building community, achieving food self-sufficiency, engaging in the lifestyle of working the land, and spending time in nature. Overall, the frame of working the land was the most effective in terms of link clicks and post reactions. However, among people ages 55+, who were more likely than younger Facebook users to engage with our advertisements, the food self-sufficiency frame received the most clicks while the nature frame received the most post reactions. In all age groups, women were more likely to click on our ads than men. These findings can be applied to future efforts to grow the number of small-scale maple syrup producers in Wisconsin and beyond. Additionally, our results underscore the importance of establishing a clear goal and segmenting audiences when designing social media campaigns. Our methods can serve as a blueprint for anyone seeking to empirically test the effectiveness of different message frames in public outreach related to agriculture or food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compliant pneumatic actuators possess many characteristics that are desirable for wearable robotic systems. These actuators can be lightweight, integrated with clothing, and accommodate uncontrolled degrees of freedom. These attributes are especially desirable for hand exoskeletons, where the soft actuator can conform to the highly variable digit shape. In particular, locating the pneumatic actuator on the palmar side of the digit may have benefits for assisting finger extension and resisting unwanted finger flexion, but this configuration requires suppleness to allow digit flexion while retaining sufficient stiffness to assist extension. Methods: To meet these needs, we designed an actuator consisting of a hollow chamber long enough to span the joints of each digit while sufficiently narrow not to inhibit finger adduction. We explored the geometrical design parameter space for this chamber in terms of shape, dimensions, and wall thickness. After fabricating an elastomer-based prototype for each actuator design, we measured active extension force and passive resistance to bending for each chamber using a mechanical jig. We also created a finite element model for each chamber to enable estimation of the impact of chamber deformation, caused by joint rotation, on airflow through the chamber. Finally, we created a prototype hand exoskeleton with the chamber parameters yielding the best outcomes. Results: A rectangular cross-sectional area was preferable to a semi-obround shape for the chamber; wall thickness also impacted performance. Extension joint torque reached 0.33 N-m at a low chamber pressure of 48.3 kPa. The finite element model confirmed that airflow for the rectangular chamber remained high despite deformation resulting from joint rotation. The hand exoskeleton created with the rectangular chambers enabled rapid movement, with a cycle time of 1.1 s for voluntary flexion followed by actuated extension. Conclusions: The developed soft actuators are feasible for use in promoting finger extension from the palmar side of the hand. This placement utilizes pushing rather than pulling for digit extension, which is more comfortable and safer. The small chamber volumes allow rapid filling and evacuation to facilitate relatively high frequency finger movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let X be an Archimedean vector lattice and X + denote the positive cone of X. A unary operation ϖ on X + is called a truncation on X if x ∧ ϖ y = ϖ x ∧ y for all x , y ∈ X +. Let X u denote the universal completion of X with a distinguished weak element e > 0. It is shown that a unary operation ϖ on X + is a truncation on X if and only if there exists an element u ∈ X u and a component p of e such that p ∧ u = 0 and ϖ x = p x + u ∧ x for all x ∈ X +. Here, px is the product of p and x with respect to the unique lattice-ordered multiplication in X u having e as identity. As an example of illustration, if ϖ is a truncation on some L p μ -space then there exists a measurable set A and a function u ∈ L 0 μ vanishing on A such that ϖ x = 1 A x + u ∧ x for all x ∈ L p μ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some developed countries with lower union density, bargaining coverage becomes almost universal through the extension of a collective agreement beyond union members to non-unionised employees. However, such extensions are criticised for creating a negative incentive for union membership, undermining the independence of unions vis-a-vis the state and distorting competition in the market. The current study presents a moderated mediation analysis to examine the relationship between union density and bargaining coverage through the bargaining level, using data from the OECD/AIAS's ICTWSS. Empirical results confirm that the extension has a positive moderated mediation impact on the link between union density and bargaining coverage with an indirect effect of bargaining level. Also, the conditional direct effect of the extension negatively interacts with the association between union density and bargaining coverage, while the conditional indirect effect of the extension positively moderates their relationship through the centralised bargaining level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing income is the main interest of farmers in establishing highly productive and sustainable coffee agroforestry. Since the program in Batutegi Lampung Province has been facing a limitation of physical capital (PC), to increase the income (INC), it is urgent to stimulate the capacity of social capital (SC). In this context, it is important to elucidate the role of extension participation (ROLE) to build better capacity of SC in amplifying the whole productivity. This study aims to analyze a) the direct effect of PC, SC, and ROLE on INC, and b) PC and SC on ROLE, as well as c) the indirect effect of ROLE (as a mediating variable) for PS and SC in increasing INC. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied at a 95% confidence level. The PC indicator is land ownership. The elements of norms, trust, and networks are indicators for SC. The three ROLE indicators are participation in extension on forest protection, agroforestry techniques, and post-harvest. Income sources from coffee beans and NTFPs are an indicator of INC. Data collection was carried out in AprilJune 2020 by conducting interviews with 98 HKm holders. The results suggest: a) the direct effect on ROLE by PC is sluggish (p-value = 0.112) but by SC is very significant (pvalue = 0.000); b) the direct effect on INC by PC or SC is blunt (not significant), whereas by ROLE is significant with p-value = 0.740, 0.123, and 0.000, respectively; and c) the indirect effect on INC by PC remains sluggish although mediated by ROLE (p-value = 0.188) but significant by SC (p-value = 0.000). The implications, for instance, are that to ensure that HKm holders can leave protected forest areas voluntarily and survive outside forest areas when their concession rights expire, the FMU should prioritize enhancing their knowledge and skills to combat decreasing returns in agroforestry production rather than enlarging land allotment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Extensão em Foco is the property of Universidade Federal do Parana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Extensão em Foco is the property of Universidade Federal do Parana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

I defend Spinoza's claim that extension is an attribute that an indivisible substance, such as God, could have. However, in order to explain why, we must abandon two long held orthodoxies in Spinoza scholarship. First, Spinoza acknowledges only parts that do not depend on their whole. Second, God, considered as natura naturans, has no parts of any kind. Against these orthodoxies, I show that having parts which depend on their whole, for Spinoza, does not entail divisibility and that God, considered as natuara naturans, must have such parts in order to be extended. Along the way, we will have a closer look at Spinoza’s mereology and address apparently conflicting statements that Spinoza makes about the relation of part and whole that have long vexed commentators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given groups (G, o) and (H, *) with disjoint support, we remark that the isomorphisms (G, o) → (H, *) are in one-to-one correspondence with certain group operations on G∪H extending the operation of G and interacting nicely with the structure on H. This correspondence follows from some general properties of groups admitting an index-two subgroup N with an involution x ∈ N which centralizes N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research mainly aimed to identify the quality of the extension service provided to citrus growers by learning about: identifying the general characteristics of the respondents, identifying the sources of information from which the respondents obtain their agricultural inputs, identifying the extension services provided by agricultural extension to citrus growers, and identifying the opinions of the farmers. In the quality of the extension service provided by agricultural extension to citrus growers, identifying the factors associated with farmers’ opinions on the quality of the extension service provided by agricultural extension to citrus growers, and determining the relative contribution of the independent variables with a correlational relationship in explaining the variation in farmers’ opinions regarding the quality of the extension service provided by agricultural extension to farmers. Citrus fruits, identifying the problems facing citrus farmers in Sharkia Governorate, and learning about the proposals of the farmers studied to overcome production and marketing problems. This research was conducted in the Sharkia Governorate, and the two largest centers in terms of area cultivated with citrus fruits were chosen, which are the Belbeis and Abu Hammad centers. The villages of Al-Zawamil and Sayten Al-Ismailia were chosen from the Belbeis center, and the villages of Al-Soura and Al-Abbassa from the Abu Hammad center. The size of the research sample was determined according to the Krejsi and Morgan equation, and was The selected sample size is 295 farmers. The most important findings of the research were: (18.98%) of the respondents had low exposure to information sources, (33.90%) of the respondents had moderate exposure to information sources, while (47.12%) of the respondents had high exposure, as the results showed (42.7% of the respondents indicated that the level of extension services provided by agricultural extension to citrus farmers is low, while (33.2%) of them indicated that the level of service is average, while (24.1%) of them indicated that the level of service is high, and it is clear from this that more Of three quarters of the respondents (75.9%) were medium and high, and the results showed that (35.6%) of the respondents indicated that the level of quality of agricultural extension service was low, while (41.7%) of them indicated that the level of service was average, while (22.7%) indicated that the level of quality of the agricultural extension service was low. They indicated that the level of service is high, and it was found that there is a significant correlation between the farmers’ views on the quality of the extension service provided by agricultural extension to citrus growers and each of (education, size of the household, number of years of experience in citrus cultivation, ownership of agricultural land, and informal social participation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WE INVESTIGATE THE DEFORMATION OF AN ELASTIC ISOTROPIC ROD in the framework of a simplified micromorphic theory introduced by Forest and Sievert. In contrast with the classical micromorphic model, which includes 18 elastic constants, this theory is characterized by constitutive equations which involve 6 constants and a material length scale parameter to describe microstructure-dependent size effects. First, we formulate the equilibrium problem of a rod subjected to a resultant force and resultant moment acting on its plane ends. Then, we generalize the method of construction of the solution avoiding a priori assumptions proposed by Iesan in classical elasticity. The method leads to the decomposition of the general problem into the basic problems of extension, bending, torsion and flexure. The analytical solutions are obtained in a closed form and reduced to their classical elasticity counterparts when the microstructure effects are suppressed. The results are useful to obtain explicit solutions when the shape of the cross section is assigned and are preliminary to the solution of the problem of cylinders loaded on a lateral surface such as the Almansi--Michel problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yinggehai Basin is situated at the junction of Indochina and the northern South China Sea (SCS). The origin of the Yinggehai Basin is generally believed to be controlled by the rotation of the Indochina block along the Red River shear zone (RRSZ), which was formed by the collision of India with Asia during the Oligocene. However, the Eocene structural mechanisms of this basin remain debatable. Some studies suggest that the Eocene reactivation of the palaeo‐suture zone (which serves as a precursor to the RRSZ) has influenced the region. In contrast, others propose that the NNW–SSE extension of the northern SCS caused by the subduction of the palaeo‐SCS towards Borneo in the Eocene has played a significant role. To address these controversies, our study takes into account these two crucial factors using physical analogue modelling. The experimental results, including slow sinistral strike‐slip along the palaeo‐suture zone and the adjacent NNW–SSE extension, successfully explain the observed fault pattern during the Eocene period. It is noteworthy that the former primarily controlled the Eocene structure in the northern region of the Yinggehai Basin, whereas the latter played a pivotal role in shaping the ENE–WSW Eocene structures on the eastern slope of the basin. The westward propagating faults of the Qiongdongnan basin are cut off by the Yinggehai Basin structures at later large‐scale rotation stage. The experiment indicates that the basin evolution exhibits diachronous characteristics, with subsidence in the south occurring later than in the north. Our modelling results provide valuable insights into the key controlling factors that shaped the evolution of the basin during each stage. Furthermore, our findings offer evidence of the interaction between two significant tectonic processes: Indochina extrusion and the opening of the SCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leibniz algebras are non-antisymmetric generalizations of Lie algebras. In this paper, we investigate the properties of complete Leibniz algebras under certain conditions on their extensions. Additionally, we explore the properties of derivations and direct sums of Leibniz algebras, proving several results analogous to those in Lie algebras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of extensional events in northern Gondwana remains elusive. In relations to this event, a new zircon U-Pb age and Hf isotopic compositions, and whole-rock geochemistry provided here for the amphibolites in the basement unit of the Menderes Massif (MM) within the Anatolide-Tauride Block (ATB). LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating of one sample yielded a crystallization age of 367.0 ± 2.5 Ma, providing the first record of Late Devonian (Famennian) mafic magmatism in the Menderes Massif. This sample contains inherited zircon grains with ages spanning from 588 Ma to 541 Ma, likely sourced from late Neoproterozoic country rocks. Chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns exhibit enrichment in light rare earth elements and flat patterns for heavy rare earth elements, suggesting affinities with tholeiitic EMORB and ocean island basalt. The geochemical data, coupled with the positive εHf(t) values ranging from 0.5 to 7.8, indicate that the amphibolite likely originated from juvenile melts generated by partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle. This melt was subsequently modified by crustal contamination and fractional crystallization. Contemporaneous EMORB- and OIB-like mafic rocks are identified in the eastern Taurides and Iran, respectively. Both regional geological and geochemical evidence proposes that Late Devonian magmatism in the Anatolide-Tauride Block occurred in a within-plate tectonic setting. This magmatic activity might have been triggered by the northward subduction of the Paleotethys beneath the Pontides during the Devonian, a process that would produce a slab-pull force, creating an extensional tectonic regime along the northern margin of Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Educational Technology” is a complete and indivisible whole formed by the fusion two elements of education and technology. This expansive field encompasses research and practical applications aimed at addressing educational and instructional problems through technology. The conventional practice of relying on a singular definition to elucidate educational technology has resulted in confusion and operational challenges. This article introduces the concept of a definition group of educational technology, delves into the discipline’s research objects, research purpose and tasks, research domain and scope, disciplinary foundation, research methods, visual representation of the disciplinary structure, and the logical starting point and positioning, and establishes distinct theory and knowledge systems for educational technology discipline in China, offering a comprehensive interpretation of the discipline’s connotations and extensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]