Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation Of Prescription Pattern And Medication Adherence Of Antihypertensive Drugs In Stage 1 Essential Hypertensive Patients At Rural Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital Of Central India.

Objectives- To study the prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs and analyze the medication adherence to antihypertensive drugs at rural tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods - Prospective, observational, 12 weeks, questionnaire based study, conducted in rural tertiary care teaching hospital of central India. 214 antihypertensive prescriptions were analyzed by Morisky medication adherence scale. Statistical analysis was done by MS Excel and Graph pad prism 6.0. Results - 28.03% patients were not aware about the medicines taken, 29.90% patients were unacquainted about dose and route of administration whereas 32.71% patients were unfamiliar about frequency of administration of medicines. 53.27% patients were unaware about precautions to be taken while consuming medicines. 58.68% & 12.67% patients consumed amlodipine & atenolol respectively. In 16.43% patients, atenolol + amlodipine combination therapy was prescribed. Amongst 214 patients 12, 58 & 144 showed high, medium & low adherence respectively. No significant difference was found on gender basis at any level of adherence. Conclusion- In this study, physicians given preference to amlodipine than other antihypertensive drugs. However, thiazide is a first line drug in stage 1 hypertension, recommended by JNC VII guideline. This indicates that there is need of creating awareness about current management of hypertension to clinicians by organizing various workshops. We observed only 5.60% patients showed high adherence to antihypertensive therapy. Therefore educational strategies must be carried out for physicians focusing on causes for nonadherence to antihypertensive medications. Also raising patient trust in their physicians may improve patient motivation to prescribed medication.
Modelling Kenyan Foreign Exchange Risk Using Asymmetry Garch Models and Extreme Value Theory Approaches

The Foreign Exchange Market in developing countries, Kenya being one of them is a key driving force for the development of a country economic growth. In the last decade, world financial markets have been characterized by significant instabilities and the currency exchange rate market is not an exception. As a consequence of the significant instabilities in the financial markets, this paper models the tail risk associated with the Kenya Shilling against the leading currencies, especially the one day ahead Value-at-Risk forecast in risk control, by using the two leading alternatives, the two-stage GARCH-EVT approach and the asymmetry GARCH models. In practice by applying the conditional Extreme Value Theory, the tail behaviour of the daily returns is modelled and thus the VaR while by using the asymmetry GARCH models, one models the whole distribution of the returns and thereafter estimates the Value at Risk. In addition to modelling the value at risk, we further examine the performance of the two leading alternatives with the daily log returns of leading currencies in the Kenyan Foreign Exchange market (US dollar, Sterling Pound and Euro) foreign currencies from the period January 2005 – August 2017 for trading days excluding weekends and holidays. The backtesting result indicate that the conditional Extreme Value Theory does not completely dominate the asymmetry GARCH models in estimating the VaR especially in the Sterling Pound and Euro Exchange Rates.
The Key Reasons for Cross - Listing in East African Stock Exchanges by Firms Listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange

The purpose of this study was to investigate the key reasons behind the decision by the firm management of Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) listed firms to cross-list in East African Exchanges. The study employed a descriptive research design. A Likert type questionnaire was administered to the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) or the Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) of the target firms. The study conducted factor analysis to identify the key reasons for the cross-listing in the East African region. The key reasons identified were investor recognition, expansion of business, boosting of sales and desire to lower the cost of capital. The factor analysis did not provide evidence that legal bonding is a motivation for the cross-listing by NSE firms. The findings from the study appear to indicate that there may exist contextual differences in the decisions to cross-list, consequently generalizations may not suffice.
Buckling Analysis of Panels and Comparative Study on ABS and DNV Rules

In this study, buckling analysis of panel types of marine and offshore structural components with initial imperfection under the combined action of lateral pressure and axial compression is carried out. The governing differential equations for thin and moderately thick shells are developed in terms of components of the displacement field. The governing ordinary differential equations are then discretized and reduced to a linear system of homogeneous equations employing the differential quadrature method. The results obtained by the present method are verified with results obtained by finite element method and those reported in the literature. Design rules of two classification societies, namely American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) are briefly presented and results are compared with rules requirements of these societies. It is observed that DNV rules are more conservative than ABS rules for calculation of buckling loads of marine and offshore structures. Effects of several parameters including the curvature, initial imperfection, geometric ratios and loading conditions on the buckling behavior of a cylindrical shell and a curved panel are investigated.
Using Budget Standards to Assess the Well-Being of Families

This paper describes the methods used by the Budget Standards Unit at the Social Policy Research Centre to develop a set of indicative budget standards for a range of Australian households. Some of the results from the project are then compared with estimates of actual household expenditures derived from the Household Expenditure Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The sensitivity of budget standards to some of the key assumptions and judgements made in developing them is illustrated in two examples: housing costs and spatial variations in prices. The paper concludes that one important contribution that budget standards research can make to the discussion of the adequacy of household incomes is in providing a transparent framework for selecting items needed to maintain a particular standard of living and translating them through prices into the budgets required to purchase them.
Labor Turnover Costs and the Behavior of Vacancies and Unemployment

It is often argued that the standard Diamond-Mortensen-Pissarides (DMP) search and matching model does not produce the cyclical ∞uctuations in vacancies and unemployment observed in the data. We extend the standard model by introducing post-match labor turnover costs (PMLTC), namely costs associated with training of new recruits and separation of experienced employees. We show that our extended DMP model helps generate movements in vacancies and unemployment in response to productivity shocks of reasonable magnitude. The main intuition is simple. When we explicitly account for PMLTC in the model, the asset value of a newly fllled position falls and, in consequence, becomes more sensitive to changes in labor productivity. Thus, the value of a vacancy varies more with productivity shocks and thereby the number of vacancies in the economy ∞uctuates more. Moreover, when we compute the steady state effects of an increase in these PMLTC, the equilibrium unemployment rate turns out to be higher and the aggregate income of the economy is reduced.
A Comparison between Two Field Methods of Evaluation of Liquefaction Potential in the Bandar Abbas City

The geotechnical characteristics of the soil layers are one of the main factors influencing liquefaction potential of the ground. In common usage, liquefaction refers to the loss of strength in saturated, cohesionless soils due to the build-up of pore water pressures during dynamic loading. The following five screening criteria, are recommended for completing a liquefaction evaluation: Geologic age and origin, Fines content and plasticity index, Saturation, Depth below ground surface and Soil penetration resistance. The liquefaction resistance of soils can be evaluated using laboratory tests such as cyclic simple shear, cyclic triaxial, cyclic torsional shear, and field methods such as Standard Penetration Test (SPT), Cone Penetration Test (CPT), and Shear Wave Velocity (Vs). The present study is aimed at comparing the results of two field methods used to evaluate liquefaction resistance of soil, i.e. SPT and CPT. It is concluded that the liquefaction evaluation methods based on the SPT data show more conservative results compared with those based on the CPT data.
Involvement of library users in collection development of hybrid academic libraries in Tanzania

Collection development in any academic library is an on-going process. It is undertaken by librarians and library services staff with inputs from different stakeholders, including the academic and non-academic staff, administrators, and students. The main objective of this paper is to assess the involvement of library users in collection development of hybrid academic libraries in Tanzania. A triangulation approach for data gathering was adopted. Structured and standardized self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from 82 respondents who were randomly selected from a population of 301 library professionals and academic staff. Key informant interviews were conducted with four library directors and four ministers of education for students’ organisations to complement the data obtained through the questionnaires. The findings of this study indicate that library users lack information literacy skills and they are rarely involved in selection, evaluation and weeding of library information resources. Based on this ground, it is recommended that academic libraries should establish an academia forum within a library website for sharing information with the academic departments and information users in general in respect to library collection development. Additionally, users should be provided with annual evaluation and weeding forms to comment on quality and usefulness of the resources and data sources available in their respective areas of study and suggest for amendments where necessary. Key words: Hybrid academic library, collection development, library users, Information literacy skills, library professionals.
Impact of Feedlot on Soil Phosphorus Concentration

Raising cattle in feedlots is becoming more common in Argentina, but there is little information available about the effects of this practice on soil phosphorus (P) dynamics. In this study, concentrations of water and Bray -1 extractable soil P were quantified in a feedlot (upper and lower slope positions in the feedlot pen), runoff area and pasture during 2006 - 2008. The feedlot showed higher P concentrations in all P forms, soluble reactive P, soluble nonreactive, total soluble P, and Bray-P1 when compared to runoff area and pasture. Most of the total soluble P was soluble reactive P from the soil in the feedlot and the runoff area, while soluble nonreactive P predominated in the pasture. Concentrations of total soluble P were elevated in the feedlot at the soil surface, ranging on average from 158.71 to 245.86 mg? P? kg? 1, and had a rapid decrease within the first 20 cm and remained relatively low, about 25.53 - 27.33 mg? P? kg? 1. The evidence that total soluble P concentration in the feedlot was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that registered in the pasture at 20 - 40 and 40 - 60 cm soil depth suggests a potential transfer of P through the soil from the surface. Although the feedlot had a moderate increase of 23.05 to 24.55 mg? P? kg? 1 from the background concentration, it may represent a long-term source of increased nutrient loading to groundwater. Soil extractable Bray-1 P in the top 0 - 2.5 cm fluctuated from 659.26 to 45.36 mg? P? kg? 1 in the feedlot and pasture, respectively. The relationship between soil P extracted by test and TSP was linear, and correlation coefficient was r2 = 0.95.
Renaissance of Bohr's Model Via Derived Alternative Equation

The aims of this research were: 1) To derive alternative equation into which can be substituted known experimental data and known physical constants for the calculation of Bohr’s radii of atoms for some elements, 2) respond to some of the objections raised against (or the short coming of Bohr’s theory,) and 3) make a case for the justification of Bohr’s theory. Apart from other elements, Bohr’s radius( a 0 ) for hydrogen was 0.5291 A; the radii for Na([Ne]3s 1 ) and Na + ([Ne]3s 0 ) were 2.5844 A and 0.5675A respectively which correspond to effective nuclear charges ( Z eff ) equal to 1.8424 and 3.7291 respectively at the 1 st and 2 nd principal quantum numbers ( n ) respectively. The results were obtained based on two definitions: a 0 αn 2 / Z eff (from initial Bohr’s equation) and a 0 αn/( ξ n ) ½ (from the derived equation, where ξ n is the average ionization energy). In conclusion, an alternative equation to Bohr’s equation was successfully derived. No single model should always be a solution to all scientific questions. Both original Bohr’s equation and derived equation can give, after calculation, similar value of any atomic radius. Therefore, Bohr’s theory stands scientifically justified.
Detection of Escherichia coli and Proteus Mirabilis Extended -Spectrum β-Lactamase Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections

A total of 40 urine specimens were collected from patients admitted to Baaquba Teaching Hospital in Baaquba city for the period from 1/ 12 /2014 to 1/01/2015. From them 16 isolates belonging to members of the family Enterobacteriaceae (40%). isolates were identified as E.coli 10 (25%) and three isolates were identified as proteus mirabilis 6 (15%). The results showed that only 4 isolates (25%) were detected as ESBL-producers by using disk approximation method P.mirabilis and E. coli were the species that gave positive results by using this method.
Ethnic Diversity and Growth: Revisiting the Evidence

Abstract The relationship between ethnic heterogeneity and economic growth is complex. Empirical research working with cross-country data finds a negative, or statistically insignificant, relationship. However, analysis at the city level finds a positive effect of diversity on wages and productivity. Generally there is a trade-off between the economic benefits of diversity and the costs of heterogeneity. Using cells of fixed size, we find that the relationship between diversity and growth is positive for small geographical areas. In the case of Africa, we argue that the explanation is the increase in trade at the boundaries between ethnic groups due to ethnic specialization.
Measuring Brand Equity among Albanian Consumers

Brands offer advantages for consumers and companies and companies are spending a lot in creating and managing their brands. Brand equity and its dimensions have received a great attention from academics. The purpose of this paper is to test the proposed model to better understand brand equity among Albanian consumers. It investigates the hierarchy of brand equity dimensions and the effect these dimensions have on brand equity. Hypothesis were tested using structural equation modeling. The reliability of the model was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Results show that brand awareness has a positive effect on brand associations, brand associations positively affect perceived quality which is positively related to brand loyalty. All dimensions have a positive effect on brand equity. Items for measuring overall brand equity were used. This study contributes to the large body of literature on brand equity. It has limitations because we use two product categories and a limited set of brands.
Quality of life, happiness and satisfaction with life of individuals 75 years old or older cared for by a home health care program

This case study identifies the elements that compose the Quality of Life (QofL) of individuals who were 75 years old or older and receive care at home. The study’s sample was composed of individuals 75 years or older cared for by a home health care service in the primary health care unit in Vilafranca del Penedes, Spain (n=26). The variables included: a) socio-demographic data; b) concept of QofL; c) perception of QofL; d) reasons for their perception; d) satisfaction with life and related aspects; and f) feeling of happiness. Face to face interviews were conducted. A total of 76.9% of the individuals reported a good perception of QofL and the main reasons related to it were: health, family and social relationships, and the ability to adapt. Role Theory and Disengagement Theory explain the adaptation process of these individuals at this point in life.
The Effect of a SimCalc Connected Classroom on Students' Algebraic Thinking

THE EFFECT OF A SIMCALC CONNECTED CLASSROOM ON STUDENTS’ ALGEBRAIC THINKING Stephen J. Hegedus University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Jim Kaput University of Massachusetts Dartmouth We report the findings of an empirical analysis of the performance of a group of middle and high school students before and after an after-school algebra enrichment program using the SimCalc software incorporating classroom networks. The results highlight statistically significant gains in their learning and briefly outline contributing factors of the innovation that gave rise to such improvement.
Structure and Composition of a Southern Illinois Freshwater Turtle Assemblage

Abstract We report on a six-year study (1994–1999) of a diverse turtle assemblage in Gallatin County, IL. Ten species of freshwater turtles representing four families were recorded. Species richness increased as a function of trap hours, with 3000 trap hours required to capture all species. The greatest density and biomass was for Trachemys scripta. Pseudemys concinna ranked second in density, but Chelydra serpentina ranked second highest in biomass. Females comprised the majority of the biomass in emydids, biomass ratios were even in Sternotherus odoratus, and males comprised the majority of the biomass in C. serpentina. Relative abundance did not significantly differ among the six years, although some uncommon species were not captured in all years.
The Relationship among Ethical Ideologies, Ethical Sensitivity and Attitude of Business Students towards Accounting

This paper examines the relationships between ethical ideology, ethical sensitivity and attitude of undergraduate business students towards accounting course. The data was gathered by using questionnaire designed to measure these variables from undergraduate business students of one public university in Turkey. Confirmatory factor analyses and Structural Equation Modeling were applied in order to analyze data. Results indicates that: (1) Attitude of business students towards accounting course are positively affected by their ethical sensitivity. (2) However different ethical ideologies have different impacts on attitude; SEM analysis show that while idealism has negative impact on the attitude towards accounting, relativism has positive impact contrary to the expectations. This contraversial results directed the study to investigate mediation effect of ethical sensitivity between idealism and attitude. Mediation analysis showed that ethical sensitivity has full mediation effect on the relationship idealism and ethical sensitivity. (3) The effects of idealism and relativism on ethical sensitivity of students were also investigated. According to results it is infered that while idealism has positive impact, relativism has negative impact on ethical sensitivity.
Optimal Deep Learning LSTM Model for Electric Load Forecasting using Feature Selection and Genetic Algorithm: Comparison with Machine Learning Approaches †

Background: With the development of smart grids, accurate electric load forecasting has become increasingly important as it can help power companies in better load scheduling and reduce excessive electricity production. However, developing and selecting accurate time series models is a challenging task as this requires training several different models for selecting the best amongst them along with substantial feature engineering to derive informative features and finding optimal time lags, a commonly used input features for time series models. Methods: Our approach uses machine learning and a long short-term memory (LSTM)-based neural network with various configurations to construct forecasting models for short to medium term aggregate load forecasting. The research solves above mentioned problems by training several linear and non-linear machine learning algorithms and picking the best as baseline, choosing best features using wrapper and embedded feature selection methods and finally using genetic algorithm (GA) to find optimal time lags and number of layers for LSTM model predictive performance optimization. Results: Using France metropolitan’s electricity consumption data as a case study, obtained results show that LSTM based model has shown high accuracy then machine learning model that is optimized with hyperparameter tuning. Using the best features, optimal lags, layers and training various LSTM configurations further improved forecasting accuracy. Conclusions: A LSTM model using only optimally selected time lagged features captured all the characteristics of complex time series and showed decreased Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for medium to long range forecasting for a wider metropolitan area.