Academic literature on the topic 'Moss campion'

Molecular variation in 49 populations of Silene acaulis was studied using AFLP multilocus markers. Data obtained support postglacial colonization of the North the from southern European mountain refugia. Most of the northern European populations are characterized by lower genetic diversity and poor genetic structure, as compared to the southern mountain populations. High Arctic archipelago Shpitsbergen have been colonized by Silene acaulis from several sources, of which the most significant is eastern Greenland.

<p><strong>Úrtak</strong></p><p>Í níggju ár kannaðu vit, á hvønn hátt experimentel hiting ávirkar tey ymisku stigini í blómingini hjá leggstuttari túvublómu, <em>Silene acaulis </em>í Føroyum. Hitin varð experimentelt øktur við smáum sekshyrntum vakstrarhúsum, ið eru gjørd úr polycarbonate. Tey eru opin í erva og tí navnið „Open top Champers“ (OTC). Kanningarnar vórðu gjørdar í fjallaøki í 600 m hædd, har blómustigini hjá leggstuttari túvublómu regluliga vórðu mátað í vakstrartíðini frá mai til juli mánað í tíggju OTC og tíggju kontrollum. Kanningarnar, ið vit skriva um í hesi grein, eru frá 2001 og hvørt ár frá 2007­2010. Vit skrivaðu upp tíðarskeiðið, tá fyrsti blómuknubbin var sjónligur, tíðarskeiðið tá fyrsta blóman var útsprungin, tá fyrsta og seinasta krúnublað følnaði. Kanningarnar eru ein partur av altjóða samstarvinum „International Tundra Experiment“ ITEX, ið er eitt samstarv millum fleiri støð serliga á norðraru hálvu, har kanningar verða gjørdar. Kanningarnar hava til endamáls at granska árinið av veðurlagsbroytingum á plantuvøkstur. Úrslitini frá hesari kanning vísa greiðar munir millum OTC og kontrollarnar. Sum heild komu øll stigini í blómingini umleið eina viku fyrr í OTC enn í kontrollunum. Longdin á øllum blómingartíðarskeiðinum var ikki ymisk í OTC og kontrollunum. Okkara OTC øktu bara hitan umleið 1°C um summarið og broyttu neyvan vetrarhitan. Hetta og ymisk onnur viðurskifti gera, at úrslitini ikki siga okkum alla søguna um broytingarnar í føroyskum plantuvøkstri, sum fara at koma av globalu upphitingini.</p><p> </p><p><strong>A</strong><strong>bstract</strong></p><p>Over a period of nine years we studied the influence of experimental warming on the flowering phenology of Moss Campion<strong>, </strong><em>Silene acaulis </em>in the Faroes. The temperature was experimentally elevated with hexagonal greenhouses called open top chambers (OTC´s) made by polycarbonate. The experiment was conducted in an alpine area at 600 m a.s.l. where the flowering stage of <em>Silene acaulis </em>was measured regularly during the growing season from May to July in ten OTC´s and ten control plots. In this paper, we present observations from 2001 and every year from 2007 to 2010. We measured four events in the flowering stage: first visible bud (FB), first flowering date (FO), first petal drop (FPD) and last petal drop (LPD). This experiment is a part of „The International Tundra Experiment“ (ITEX) that is a collaborative, multisite experiment using a common temperature manipulation to examine the influence of climate change on vegetation. The results from our experiment showed statistically significant changes between the OTC´s and the control plots for all four events. Typically, the events occurred about one week earlier in the OTC´s. The length of the flowering period from FB to LPD was not significally different in the OTC´s from the control plots. The warming induced by the OTC´s in our experiment was only about 1oC in the summer and less than that in the winter. This and other confounding effects such as sheltering imply that care should be taken when using our results to predict phenological in the Faroes changes induced by global warming.</p>

AbstractWe present preliminary results of a 4-month campaign carried out in the framework of the Mons project, where time-resolved Hα observations are used to study the wind and circumstellar properties of a number of OB stars.

The present study analyzes the results of a biomonitoring campaign, carried out by means of Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. moss bags around an oil refinery, located in the southwestern part of Sardinia island (Italy). This work focuses mainly on the effects of rainfall and distance from the source of contamination on the content of 14 trace elements measured over 16 years. In addition, to point out any increasing or decreasing trends, as well as any peak in presence of airborne pollutants in the area, annual elements’ concentration values are plotted and discussed. Coefficients of variation were also calculated on accumulation values in order to evaluate stability of measurements across the years and to evaluate if similar exposure conditions, i.e., humidity and distance from contamination source, resulted in more uniform accumulation values. In conclusion, (i) the vicinity of the source of contamination as well as rainfall influenced element content in the biomonitor in the case study differently, depending on the considered element and on the exposure condition, (ii) H. cupressiforme moss bags provided relatively stable measurements during the 16-year time frame (observed variations in elements content can be attributed to environmental inputs in the area), (iii) similar conditions of exposure determined less variable accumulation values.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the research steps taken to identify message directions for a community-wide health communication campaign aimed at supporting healthier eating behaviors among Latino farmworker families in the Immokalee community in Florida. Latino mothers were targeted to understand their beliefs about children’s healthy eating needs and identify communication campaign opportunities that would reinforce choices made in the home, surrounding meal planning, food selection and preparation and portion sizes. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-methods approach using focus group, group interview and qualitative message concept testing was used in three distinct stages of research exploration. An independent sample was recruited at each stage through convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods. The stages of change theory provided a framework for research inquiry in the context of healthy eating-at-home practices. Findings In general, mothers were aware and participatory in the effort to serve healthy meals for their children at home. The time and money associated with buying nutritious foods and cooking healthy meals daily was stressful, but they were receptive to communication efforts to help them maintain their commitment to give their children healthy foods. These findings provided directional opportunities for the discovery and implementation of health communication strategies. Test results found that the target was most receptive to message strategies that acknowledged the responsibility of both parents to model healthy eating practices to children. Research limitations/implications Recruiting resulted in small sample sizes at each stage of the investigation. The reliability of quantitative measurement was a limitation to the research conclusions. Practical implications Partnership with the audience from discovery to conceptualization resulted in messages that uniquely resonated with the audience for which they were aimed. Understanding about the target stage of readiness improves message effectiveness to the target group. Social implications Health communication campaigns planned and developed with the target audience at its center will generate message strategies that effectively address issues of greatest relevance to those communication agents that seek to change. Originality/value The study provides a unique exploration of the steps that health communication agents should pursue to establish a thorough profile of their target audience and the issues that resonate when considering healthy eating behavior at home. The application of the stages of the change model encouraged the discovery of issues surrounding the challenge and highlighted potential obstacles that would mitigate the behavior change efforts.

The 1940 Franco-Thai border conflict coincided with the beginning of a four-year campaign to weaken the Catholic Church's position in Thailand. The government closed down schools, confiscated property and imprisoned clergy. Angry mobs looted and burned churches, while the local populace boycotted businesses owned by Catholic Thais. The state-led persecution was part of a broad effort to deal with the legacy of western imperialism in Thailand. Catholicism's strong association with French colonialism, combined with France's decline, made the Church the ideal target for anti-imperialist forces. This overlooked incident provides strong evidence that Phibun Songkhram's strategy was not simply to survive the war, as historians have often claimed. The anti-Catholic campaign, which complicated the country's post-war status, was part of an attempt to re-position the country vis-à-vis the West and provide complete independence for Thailand.

Social marketing researchers have identified brand equity as a potential mediator of the relationship between campaign message exposure and resulting behavior. This study examined whether message exposure and components of brand equity contribute to overall brand equity changes over the course of a 12-month campaign evaluation. In addition, we examine whether brand equity consistently accounts for covariance (i.e., mediation) in the relationship between message exposure and parental support (PS). Data were drawn from ParticipACTION’s “Think Again” campaign evaluations that targeted parents, specifically moms, with children between the ages of 5 and 11 years (three independent samples: March 2011, N = 702 [T1]; September 2011, N = 706 [T2]; March 2012, N = 670 [T3]). Univariate analyses of variance were used to examine changes in message exposure and components of brand equity over time, while structural equation modeling was used to examine the brand equity model relationship. Findings revealed that message exposure was greatest at T3 ( ps < .01) and that brand equity was greatest at T2 ( ps < .05). Model fit statistics revealed modest to good fit. Results demonstrated that Think Again message exposure was related to brand equity (standardized effects .10–.28) and that brand equity was related to PS (standardized effects .30–.40; ( ps < .01). Importantly, an indirect effect of message exposure on PS through brand equity (standardized effects .03–.09) emerged in all models ( ps < .05). This study demonstrates the utility of branding social marketing campaigns to increase campaign effectiveness.

Abstract. Net ozone production rates, P(O3), were measured directly using the Penn State Measurement of Ozone Production Sensor (MOPS) during the Study of Houston Atmospheric Radical Precursors (SHARP, 2009). Measured P(O3) peaked in the late morning, with values between 15 ppbv h−1 and 100 ppbv h−1, although values of 40–80 ppbv h−1 were typical for higher ozone days. These measurements were compared against ozone production rates calculated using measurements of hydroperoxyl (HO2), hydroxyl (OH), and nitric oxide (NO) radicals, called "calculated P(O3)". The same comparison was done using modeled radicals obtained from a box model with the RACM2 mechanism, called "modeled P(O3)". Measured and calculated P(O3) had similar peak values but the calculated P(O3) tended to peak earlier in the morning when NO values were higher. Measured and modeled P(O3) had a similar dependence on NO, but the modeled P(O3) was only half the measured P(O3). The modeled P(O3) is less than the calculated P(O3) because the modeled HO2 is less than the measured HO2. While statistical analyses are not conclusive regarding the comparison between MOPS measurements and the two estimation methods, the calculated P(O3) with measured HO2 produces peak values similar to the measured P(O3) when ozone is high. Although the MOPS is new and more testing is required to verify its observations, the measurements in the SHARP field campaign show the potential of this new technique for contributing to the understanding of ozone-producing chemistry and to the monitoring of ozone's response to future air quality regulatory actions.

The political agenda of William Lloyd Garrison and his adherents within the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society (MASS) can be reconstructed with the rhetoric and practices of print culture, starting with its assumption that the prospects for the slaves' emancipation waxed and waned with the proliferation of writing. In the mid-1830s, the MASS mailed antislavery publications in mass quantities to civic leaders, newspaper editors, and post offices in both the North and South. In 1837 alone, it issued 711, 277 publications, which Garrison noted were falling “thicker than raindrops … nourishing the soil of freedom.” Although their publicity campaign elicited a hostile reaction from political officials, newspaper editors, and most infamously, violent mobs, the abolitionists persisted. A typical budget for the MASS allotted far more money to printing and distribution than any other expenditure, including the remuneration of their often imperiled traveling agents.

Anthropology
Ph.D.
This dissertation focuses on the history and archaeology of the American military encampments of the American Revolution. The organization of this dissertation reflects the purpose and methodology of the study to create context — both historically and archaeologically — for the American military encampments of the American Revolution, in order to understand the encampments’ design, implementation, and evolution over the course of the war. By employing a multifaceted approach towards the documentary record, this dissertation illustrates as many perspectives as possible by consulting a diverse collection of primary source material to construct a historical framework that explores how the military and the individual soldiers involved negotiated the theater of war during the encampment periods. Specific attention is paid to the orders that were handed down from the military hierarchy and how the soldiers reacted. This dissertation further refines the discussion of the American military encampments of the American Revolution by examining the physical remains of the encampments through the archaeological record. Utilizing information collected from nearly a century of archaeological investigations at places such as Middlebrook, New Jersey, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Pluckemin, New Jersey, Redding, Connecticut, Morristown, New Jersey, and New Windsor, New York, this dissertation will provide a review and assessment of the archaeology of American military encampments of the American Revolution. In doing so, this dissertation examines the results these investigations have yielded and evaluates whether different approaches or a reevaluation of the results obtained from these investigations can provide new avenues of information to further interpret these historic sites. A case study is presented based on the author’s own excavations within the Valley Forge winter encampment on the grounds of the modern Washington Memorial Chapel. Through this case study, the physical and material remains of this encampment site are interpreted as expressions of the Continental Army’s adaptation to the landscape, as well as an expression of their status and training during this early stage of the war. Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben’s work is presented as a determining factor in this development. This dissertation uses the archaeological remains of these military landscapes to provide insight into the lifeways and power structures of the military as well as the soldiers who defined the social and economic disposition of this diverse community. Viewing each of these sites as a particular marker in time, this dissertation provides case studies of events over the course of the American Revolution to examine how the Army and its soldiers interact with the then-contemporary conflict, training, and the environment. Each of these influences played a role in the evolution of this military force.
Temple University--Theses

We report on both high-precision photometry from the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) space telescope and ground-based spectroscopy of the triple system δ Ori A, consisting of a binary O9.5II+early-B(Aa1 and Aa2) with P=5.7 days, and a more distant tertiary(O9 IV P 400 years). This data was collected in concert with X-ray spectroscopy from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Thanks to continuous coverage for three weeks, the MOST light curve reveals clear eclipses between Aa1 and Aa2 for the first time in non-phased data. From the spectroscopy, we have a well-constrained radial velocity (RV)curve of Aa1. While we are unable to recover RV variations of the secondary star, we are able to constrain several fundamental parameters of this system and determine an approximate mass of the primary using apsidal motion. We also detected second order modulations at 12 separate frequencies with spacings indicative of tidally influenced oscillations. These spacings have never been seen in a massive binary, making this system one of only a handful of such binaries that show evidence for tidally induced pulsations.

Dissertação (mestrado) Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnologico.
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This diploma thesis is studying population dynamics of endangered species Silene acaulis in the High Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. Silene acaulis is a species of extreme alpine habitats creating cushions that provide a microclimate acting as a facilitator of establishment of other species in the alpine communities. This dome-like structure has one woody taproot making it easier to distinguish each individual. It is thus a perfect model species for determining the population dynamics drivers. The findings help in understanding future behaviour of the species and whole alpine ecosystems. Population data have been collected since 2013 or 2014 in two valleys in the High Tatras providing a database suitable to study various effects on species performance. Data collection includes marking, measuring, counting of flowers and capsules, viability and new seedlings recording, gender identification and comparison of vegetation structure within and in close proximity of a cushion. The data on vegetation were analysed using CCA ordination and the population data were analysed using Integral Projection Models. The results show that the breeding system of Slovak S. acaulis is gynodioecious and the gender affects the size of cushions, individuals with both female and hermaphrodite flowers being the biggest. The...

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil
Atualmente, a gestão eficiente de recursos naturais do planeta torna-se cada vez mais urgente e necessária, uma vez que a utilização descontrolada dos mesmos pode conduzir à escassez de alguns que poderão não estar disponíveis para as gerações futuras. Neste âmbito surgiu o conceito de Sustentabilidade. Este conceito poderá ser aplicado em várias áreas, sendo uma delas os transportes, ou seja, criando um sistema de transportes que gaste menos recursos energéticos e minimize os impactes ambientais, económicos e sociais, salvaguardando, desta forma, as próximas gerações, surgindo o paradigma da mobilidade sustentável. A sustentabilidade associada à mobilidade está intrinsecamente relacionada com a escolha de modos de transportes mais sustentáveis, como os modos suaves (bicicleta, andar apé) e a utilização de transportes públicos. Para que tal seja possível é necessário impor uma mudança urgente no comportamento e hábitos instalados nas sociedades atuais, sendo por isso necessário desenvolver modelos de avaliação da aplicação do conceito de sustentabilidade à mobilidade que está relacionada com importantes Polos Geradores de Viagens, como é o caso das Universidades. De acordo com a dimensão um Campus Universitário poderá ter um funcionamento de microcidade e consequentemente, gerar fluxos de viagens significativos com consequências negativas no funcionamento do sistema de transportes e da própria cidade. Deste modo, é apresentado neste trabalho um modelo de avaliação da sustentabilidade no acesso a Campi Universitários, tendo por base uma análise dos padrões de mobilidade e da avaliação da correta adoção dos modos de transporte de acordo com competitividade dos diferentes meios de transporte segundo orientações sustentáveis. Neste âmbito é apresentado um estudo de caso para os Campi da Universidade do Minho, com a avaliação de cerca de uma amostra de 1500 inquéritos numa população de cerca de 15.000 utilizadores, concluindo-se que os padrões de mobilidade são dominados pelo uso do automóvel e que em ambos os campi não apresentam uma mobilidade que possa ser considerada sustentável, especialmente para o campus de Gualtar, onde segundo o modelo de avaliação proposto indica que a repartição modal sustentável deveria ser 45% modos suaves e 55% modos motorizados, verificando-se na realidade que é 17% e 83% respetivamente.
Nowadays an efficient management of our planet's resources is becoming an even greater issue due to its constantly increasing entropy, tending to the possibility of extinction or confinement of some elements that can be important for the future generations. In this context, the notion of Sustainable Development emerged. It is a concept that can be applied to several areas such as transportation, by the manner of creating a less energy consumer transport system and reducing environmental, economic and social impacts, safeguarding the welfare of future generations. The concept of sustainability apply to the mobility is intrinsically related with a more sustainable mode of transportation choice, like as soft modes (walking and cycling) and the use of public transportation. To make this possible it is necessary to urgently impose a change of attitude in today’s society behaviour. This is why it is so important and why there should be given a special attention to the development of evaluation models for the concept of sustainability in mobility witch is directly connect with important traffic Generation Center like University Campus. According to its dimension, University Campus can act as a small urban center therefor it can generate significant travel flows with negative impact in the transport system and cities activities. Due to this, it is presented in this document an evaluation model for sustainability verified at the access to University campus, analysing mobility patterns and transportation choices according to the competitive edge of different modes of transportation in order to accomplish sustainability patterns. In this context it is presented a case of study of Minho´s University Campuses, evaluating a sample of near 1500 surveys from a population close to 15000 users, concluding that the mobility patterns are ruled by the usage of car, having both campuses unsustainable mobility, especially Gualtar´s Campus, where the evaluation model conclude that 45% of users should have selected soft modes for transportation instead of 17% and 55% motorized mods instead of 83%.

In view of its inevitable implications at an individual and collective level, in all historic periods hospital building has represented the most advanced level of elaboration of architectural models aimed at the optimal synthesis of form, function and technique. Consequently, the typological and morphological reading of the Ospedale degli Infermi of Faenza, in the wake of a campaign of architectural surveys and archive research, represents an opportunity for verifying the relationship between technical culture and design and building practice through which it is possible to identify the typological and semantic values of the architecture. Designed and constructed by the master builders Raffaele and Giovanbattista Campidori in the middle of the eighteenth century, the various phases in the transformation of the Hospital are analysed down to our own times, positing tools and methods of investigation designed to optimise operations for the rehabilitation and conservation of the most ancient part of the building.

The Battle of Errozabal (Rencesvals) is the one of the most significant historical events of eighth century Vasconia and in all Western Europe. The present monograph examines Charlemagne’s campaign from the perspective of military history but also as part of a complex socio-political process that began after the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 and culminated with the creation of the Kingdom of Pamplona in 824. The battle had major (and largely underappreciated) consequences for the Carolingian Empire. It also enjoyed a remarkable legacy as the topic of one of the oldest European epic poems, La Chanson de Roland. The events that took place in the Pyrenean pass of Errozabal on 15 August 778 defined the development of the Carolingian world, and lie at the heart of the early medieval contribution to the later medieval period.

Codici dell’anima: itinerari tra mistica, filosofia e poesia. Con un’antologia di testi al femminile investigates the rhetoric of ‘vision’ at a theoretical, literary and linguistic level: through the analysis of a corpus of important authors of the twentieth century – Campo, Guidacci, Virgillito, Zambrano and Weil – it traces the routes of a new resemantization of some symbols from the mystical tradition. After a theoretical reflection on the most significant aspects of philosophical and poetic itineraries, the volume philologically analyzes the fundamental aspects of this new alphabet of ecstasy to arrive at the construction of a repertoire of symbols, intended as a mapping of presences and recurrences, analyzed in their aspects of continuity, redesign and innovation with respect to the medieval and modern background.

The one percent has been providing an ever larger share of campaign funds since the 1980s. Well over half of the money contributed to the presidential race in 2015 came from only about 350 families. One-fourth of it came from just seventy-eight donors, all of whom made contributions of $1 million or more. Can we still say we live in a democracy if a few hundred rich families provide such disproportionate shares of campaign funds? Congress and the courts are divided on that question, with conservatives saying yes and liberals saying no. The debate is about the most fundamental of political questions: how we define democracy, and how we want our democracy to work. The debate may ultimately be about political theory, but in practice it is conducted in terms of laws, regulations, and court decisions about PACs, super PACs, 527s, 501(c)(4)s, dark money, the Federal Election Commission, and even the IRS. This book explains how those laws, regulations, and court decisions fit into the larger debate about how we want our democracy to work.

This chapter represents the first installment of Hillary Clinton's news biography and examines the news coverage of Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign and her entrance onto the national stage of politics. It recounts the baseline news frames that laid the foundation for judgments of Clinton's authenticity against which future frames would converge and diverge. The chapter also describes her most formative media moments during this period, which linguistically and visually acted as stock frames that authenticated Clinton as a feminist and inauthenticated her as a woman of tradition. Her political image was thus framed as a political intruder violating the protocol of presidential campaigning; an anomalous candidate's wife rejecting the trappings of home and domesticity in favor of feminist principles; and a political lightning rod who exuded personality problems that promised to disrupt her husband's presidential bid and undermine the traditions of first lady.

AbstractThis chapter describes how digitalization has affected activism in Russia by tracing the evolution, particularity, and the most visible forms of online activism in the context of the increasingly authoritarian Russian state. It discusses online activism in relation to “connective action” and illustrates it with two examples of contentious political activism: the anti-corruption campaign led by Alexei Navalny and the struggle to protect online communication from state surveillance by the Telegram messenger service. In addition, the chapter presents examples of Russian activism, which do not directly challenge the Kremlin.

Congress passed the 1974 FECA amendments in response to the Watergate scandal. The amendments were the most comprehensive revision of campaign finance law in history, but they incorporated most of the laws that had been on the books since the Tillman Act in 1907....

Public funding for presidential elections was the most controversial and most innovative part of the post-Watergate reforms. It was not controversial with the public, which supported it by large majorities, and every serious presidential contender participated in the program from 1976 through the rest...

This is the most basic question about campaign finance, and it is where differences of opinion begin. The disagreement is between those who think there is a problem that should be solved by passing reform laws, and those who think that the real problem...

After a brief analysis of the Wilson-Kautz Raid, this chapter describes the impact of the first six weeks of the Petersburg Campaign on the city’s residents. Relentless Federal artillery bombardment forced many citizens out of their homes, wreaking havoc on the town’s built environment. Shortages at the markets created hardship as did runaway inflation that impoverished all but the wealthiest citizens. The presence of tens of thousands of Confederate soldiers, many of whom occupied the city’s several military hospitals, presented both problems and opportunities for civilians. Crime increased, much of it perpetrated by the troops, but the residents managed to maintain an active social life wherein young Confederate officers courted Petersburg’s eligible belles. Despite these hardships, most Petersburg residents remained steadfast supporters of the Confederate war effort, demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of immense challenges experienced by few Southerners during the war.

The chapter shows how countering terrorism was a vitally important part of Donald Trump's 2015/16 election campaign. The themes he articulated represented the clearest, most radicalized version of his doctrine. In line with his idea of "killing terrorists" and "keeping Muslims out" of the country, he presented a fundamentally different idea of countering terrorism than his rivals. He portrayed the confrontation with Islamic State as a civilizational conflict, which involved not just defeating a terrorist group, but classified Muslims as part of an immigrant "out-group", described Islam as fundamentally incompatible with the American way of life, and legitimized virtually any means of achieving victory and restoring "respect".

Moss-type LNG carriers (LNGC) — equipped with spherical LNG tanks — have successfully performed multiple side-by-side (SBS) offloading operations from the PETRONAS FLNG (PFLNG1) terminal since first gas in late 2016. Such LNGC are well suited for these operations as by essence their tanks mitigate the liquid impact risk, for any filling ratio. However, regardless of the LNG tanks shape, the accurate assessment of the relative motion between PFLNG1 and a SBS-moored LNGC was critical for designing the mooring and offloading systems — in particular the LNG Marine Loading Arms (MLA) — and subsequently assessing the terminal operability. While the issue has been extensively studied for LNGC equipped with prismatic tanks (SALT I & II JIPs [4]) and a good agreement achieved with numerical models using potential theory, literature available on coupling with LNG sloshing in spherical tanks in a SBS mooring configuration is rare. Compared with prismatic tanks, the axisymmetric tank geometry is not restricting the main sloshing modes direction: these modes are therefore free to rotate due to LNGC wave-induced motions. An experimental wave basin model test campaign has been held at the MARIN facility to assess the behavior of a Moss-type LNGC with partially filled tanks and provide a good quality database for numerical model calibration and relative motion prediction. This carrier, equipped with Plexiglas spherical tanks, has been tested in free-standing conditions and SBS-moored to PFLNG1. A variety of loading conditions was covered for the LNGC including ballast, 20% and 50% filling. Sloshing modes have been captured with dedicated cameras and wave probes implemented in the LNGC tanks. In this paper, the model test set-up is presented and a comparison is made between the experiments and numerical simulations, using the potential theory software Diodore™, accounting for the hydrodynamic interaction between the vessels and the coupling with the liquid motion in tanks. Particular attention is paid to the coupling effects between longitudinal and transverse motions induced by the longitudinal asymmetry, and their consequences on the design of the offloading system.

Abstract Beginning in 2018, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory restarted exposure campaigns on new and archived samples as part of a multiyear project, some with outdoor exposure for more than a decade. By resuming exposure and collecting and analyzing data on thousands of samples going back decades, several goals can be advanced that can be difficult to determine within the timeline of most projects: 1) correlating an accelerated exposure campaign to outdoor aging, specifically with xenon arc lamp exposure chambers; 2) drawing conclusions between specific corrosion mechanisms and weather patterns; and 3) finding novel relationships between mirror composition and performance. In addition to building and mining a database, we will experiment with new characterization techniques, primarily focused on macroscopic and microscopic imaging. In introducing these techniques more broadly, it may be possible to reveal a more direct line between optical performance and exposure campaigns by better understanding the degradation mechanisms occurring.

In the last years, the use of floating concrete caissons in coastal infrastructures has been generalized: docking structures, vertical breakwater and special floating structures. In this field, one of the most important and less analyzed stages of the marine works is the sinking process of the floating caissons. The test campaign presented in this work is innovative in scale (1:12) and includes an analysis of the different stages of a floating caisson during its life cycle: detached concrete caisson, caisson positioning and sinking and berthed floating caisson, resulting in more than 130 tests performed. Movements and tensions have been analyzed for a wide array of sea states and different configurations of mooring systems and horizontal layouts. A new tool for dynamic positioning control was designed and developed as part of the test campaign. The design of this tool has led to the development of a specific numerical model that reproduced the dynamic behavior during sinking. The dynamic positioning control was implemented in the physical model campaign, which has meant an important advance in the construction process of maritime infrastructures. Moreover, the campaign carried out has allowed the validation and calibration of the tools developed, allowing all the work to reduce costs and increase the safety of these types of marine operations.

Electrical energy production by wind energy has assumed more and more relevance in the last years. This paper presents the design of a ducted horizontal axis wind turbine, in order to enhance the performance. The study compares the energy production of a ducted turbine to a traditional free turbine, highlighting the different features. In the first part of the work, different possible geometries have been investigated through a quasi-1D model, using correlations from literature to evaluate pressure, velocity and producible electrical power by the wind turbine. A 3D CFD model, in a set of configurations, has confirmed the preliminary results. The most promising geometries have been selected by combining the outputs of the two models. In order to confirm the results obtained by the numerical models, a test rig has been assembled at the wind tunnel of the Polytechnic School of the University of Genoa. Different possible configurations of the wind energy harvesting system have been tested: free turbine, horizontal duct, convergent duct and convergent-divergent ducts (with the turbine installed in the throat section). In particular, the convergent-divergent duct has shown the best results, with an increase factor close to 2.5 in terms of produced power, compared to the reference free turbine. Finally, the results obtained in the experimental campaign have been used to validate the two models (1D and 3D CFD). Considering the advantages in terms of energy production, this kind of configuration can be considered an interesting solution for many different situations, including energy harvesting.

The internet, where people spend a big chunk of their time, has become an indispensable part of life. Thanks to online e-commerce websites, being able to choose from different categories and products and procure everything needed, from clothes to technology, from major appliances to groceries, is one of the most important conveniences of our age. As the interest of consumers increased, so did the number of e-commerce websites. These websites started to make numerous special offers and marketing campaigns to differentiate themselves from their competitors. One of these campaigns, the Black Friday, has taken the shopping habits within the context of consumption culture to a whole new level the moment it was introduced in Turkey. This discount tradition that went beyond the borders of the US with globalization, has spread around the world. An example to the fact that traditional shopping has given its place to e-commerce applications thanks to the rapid development of digitalization, one of Turkey’s pioneer e-commerce applications, Trendyol has transformed Black Friday and started the “Legendary Days” campaign. The frequency of the promotion work within the process of this campaign has caused the emergence of a different range of perceptions in the target audience. Encountering Trendyol’s “Legendary Days” advertising campaign too often has created both positive and negative perception, especially during COVID-19 lockdowns where people spend most of their time watching TV, browsing the internet, or playing online games. In this study, 429 YouTube comments on Trendyol’s four commercial films on YouTube for Trendyol’s “Legendary Days” campaign that took place on 25th, 26th, and 27th of November 2020, have been examined through a content analysis of 13 items. Additionally, a text analysis was conducted on comments. According to the results of the study, it was found that being exposed to YouTube advertisements on a frequent basis, especially during a pandemic where people cannot leave their homes, had created a negative reputation for Trendyol’s “Legendary Days” campaign among YouTube users. This case causes a discrepancy between the positive reputation works Trendyol has conducted during the pandemic period.

Purpose – In recent years, crowdfunding platforms have become very popular as intermediaries between fundraisers and funders. However, various campaigns published on the platform might be of bad quality or fraudulent, so the crowdfunding platform must be very careful when choosing the right ones. Also, the proper selection depends on the profits of a crowdfunding platform. In most cases, crowdfunding platforms mainly earn money from transaction and administration fees from successful campaigns on their platforms. While it is very hard to select successful cam-paigns, it is possible to analyse already published campaigns and forecast future revenues of crowdfunding platforms. And based on this, to select new projects which might be successful too. The aim of this work is to develop a model to forecast the revenues of crowdfunding platforms. Research methodology – In this research, comparative and statistical analysis will be used, data structuring, modelling and forecasting, performed with the ARIMA model. Findings – Main findings of this research present the three most successful campaign categories from the Kickstarter platform that receives the highest funding. Fees were calculated from those three campaign categories, and revenues for the platform were forecasted using the ARIMA model. Research limitations – Main limitations are that there were used data from a very short period of time. For better results accuracy, a longer period is needed. Practical implications – this research might be of practical use since the forecasts show that the revenues will continue to grow from the successful campaign categories. Consequently, investors should continue to support technology, games and design categories the most. At the same time, crowdfunding platforms should give more attention to these categories when choosing new projects to launch on the platform.

As part of the Sectoral Plan for Deep Geological Repositories, three candidate sites are currently examined by a focused geological exploration program in Northeastern Switzerland. The program involves 3D seismic surveys and drilling of at least two deep boreholes at each site. Stress testing is being undertaken with a wireline formation testing tool in each borehole (around 20 stress tests per borehole). Improvements in the toolstring were introduced step by step to sharpen the range of the stress estimates and enable 100% coverage of the desired lithological column. This is the first time that a single toolstring with three packers has been run to perform the complete combination of sleeve fracturing, hydraulic fracturing and sleeve reopening tests. A dedicated stress testing protocol was developed to ensure the most robust estimate of the stress in a large variety of formations. A detailed planning process has been developed to maximize the success rate and coverage of stress test stations, integrating all available information as it becomes available. A review of the techniques enabled by the new toolstring for estimating the closure stress from a stress test, especially in low-permeability formations, is presented, and detailed stress testing examples are provided. Preliminary comparison between the stress estimates for the first two boreholes in the campaign are shown.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.