Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An assessment of the functioning of the Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee in the rural areas of Kamrup district, Assam -

Background: The Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC) is a first step toward decentralized planning and community empowerment approach. Objective: To assess the constitution of the VHSNCs, to assess the activities undertaken by them, and to assess the funding and utilization status of the VHSNCs. Materials and Methods: Study design—Community-based cross-sectional study. Study place—Three blocks of Kamrup district viz, Boko-Bongaon, Hajo, and Sualkuchi. Study period—July 1 to October 31, 2015. Study population—The functionaries of VHSNCs present during visit and the records maintained. Sample size—Total 78 VHSNCs were assessed in this study. Sample collection technique—Out of the total 12 blocks, 3 blocks were selected. Sub-centers (50%) under these three blocks selected and two villages from each SC selected. All the 78 VHSNCs operating in these villages were included in this study. Data collection tool—Predesigned and pretested schedule containing both open- and closed-ended questions. Primary data were collected by interview method and secondary data obtained from various records. Results: 55.12% VHSNCs had 11 or more members. Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) member, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), Anganwadi Worker (AWW), and Medical officer were members in all of the committees. Only 16.67% of the VHSNCs conducted 10–12 meetings in 1 year. 16.67% VHSNCs had maintained and updated the untied fund register. Formation of new committee and new members (96.15%), ASHA’s incentive (94.87%), and Anganwadi Center (AWC) repairing (88.76%) were commonly discussed topics in monthly meetings. A majority of 67.93% VHSNCs utilized more than 90% of the funds allotted to them. Conclusion: It was observed that although VHSNCs have been constituted in all of the revenue villages in the study area, there are several lacunae in their organization.
Shifts in Portfolio Preferences of International Investors: An Application to Sovereign Wealth Funds

Reversals in capital inflows can have severe economic consequences. This paper develops a dynamic general equilibrium model to analyse the effect on interest rates, asset prices, investment, consumption, output, the exchange rate and the current account of a shift in portfolio preferences of foreign investors. The model has two countries and two asset classes (equities and bonds). It is characterised by imperfect substitutability between assets and allows for endogenous adjustment in interest rates and asset prices. Therefore, it accounts for capital gains arising from equity price movements, in addition to valuation effects caused by changes in the exchange rate. To illustrate the mechanics of the model, we calibrate it to analyse the consequences of an increase in the importance of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). Specifically, we ask what would happen if ‘excess’ reserves held by emerging markets were transferred from central banks to SWFs. We look separately at two diversification paths: one in which SWFs keep the same allocation across bonds and equities as central banks, but move away from dollar assets (path 1); and another in which they choose the same currency composition as central banks, but shift from US bonds to US equities (path 2). In path 1, the dollar depreciates and US net debt falls on impact and increases in the long run. In path 2, the dollar depreciates and US net debt increases in the long run. In both cases, there is a reduction in the ‘exorbitant privilege’, ie, the excess return the United States receives on its assets over what it pays on its liabilities. The model is applicable to other episodes in which foreign investors change the composition of their portfolios.
Mitigation effect of dry spells in Sahelian rainfed agriculture: Case study of supplemental irrigation in Burkina Faso

This study aims to isolate the supplemental irrigation (SI) scenario from permeable rainwater harvesting basins (RWHBs) best suitable to mitigate the long dry spells (DSs) in Burkinabe Sahel (BS). The water flow in the soil was studied on corn crop during 2013 and 2014 depending on the available water in the monitored RWHB. The experimental design was a block Fisher with four treatments (one under rainfed regime and three under supplemental irrigation). Measurements of the soil water content revealed periods of corn water sufficiency in plots under SI. Average corn yields were respectively 4500 and 4600 kg ha-1 for 2013 and 2014 on plots under SI against 3700 and 3800 kg ha-1 for those in rainfed regime. The average contribution of the SI in increasing corn yield was respectively 24 and 26% in 2013 and 2014 for three supplemental irrigations (SIs), against 19 and 17% for two SIs. With these SIs, the water balance in the RWHB gave respectively at the end of 2013 and 2014, an available water of 60 and 81 mm. The suitable strategy of the SI to mitigate DSs effect in BS was applying two SIs with a dose at least 40 mm around the mid-season. Key words: Supplemental irrigation, rainwater harvesting, dry spell mitigation, sustainable development, corn, Sahel.
Hydrodynamics of long-duration urban floods: experiments and numerical modelling

Abstract. Flood risk in urbanized areas raises increasing concerns as a result of demographic and climate changes. Hydraulic modelling is a key component of urban flood risk analysis; yet, detailed validation data are still lacking for comprehensively validating hydraulic modelling of inundation flow in urbanized floodplains. In this study, we present an experimental model of inundation flow in a typical European urban district and we compare the experimental observations with predictions by a 2-D shallow-water numerical model. The experimental set-up is 5 m × 5 m and involves seven streets in each direction, leading to 49 intersections. For a wide range of inflow discharges, the partition of the measured outflow discharges at the different street outlets was found to remain virtually constant. The observations also suggest that the street widths have a significant influence on the discharge partition between the different streets' outlets. The profiles of water depths along the streets are mainly influenced by the complex flow processes at the intersections, while bottom roughness plays a small part. The numerical model reproduces most of the observed flow features satisfactorily. Using a turbulence model was shown to modify the length of the recirculations in the streets, but not to alter significantly the discharge partition. The main limitation of the numerical model results from the Cartesian grid used, which can be overcome by using a porosity-based formulation of the shallow-water equations. The upscaling of the experimental observations to the field is also discussed.
Analysts and Anomalies

Abstract Analysts' price targets and recommendations contradict stock return anomaly variables. Using an index based on 125 anomalies, we find that analysts' annual stock return forecasts are 11% higher for anomaly-shorts than for anomaly-longs. Anomaly-shorts’ return forecasts are excessively optimistic, exceeding realized returns by 34%. Recommendations also tend to be more favorable for anomaly-shorts, although this result varies across anomaly types. Consistent with analysts' slowly incorporating anomaly information, anomalies forecast revisions in both price targets and recommendations. Our findings imply that investors who follow analysts' actionable information contribute to mispricing.
Growth Performance And Nutritional Value Of Scenedesmus Obliquus Cultured In Different Concentrations Of Sweetmeat Factory Waste Media

The growth performance of Scenedesmus obliquus was studied in the laboratory in different concentration of sweetmeat factory waste media (SFWM). Four different concentrations viz. 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0% of SFWM and Bold basal medium (BBM) as control was used with three replications for a period of three months. Each trial was done for a period of 14 days in the laboratory. The initial density of Scenedesmus obliquus was 2.1×10 5 cell/ml which attained a maximum density of 136.30×10 5 cell/ml in BBM followed by 97.05, 83.21, 65.19 and 51.21 (×10 5 cell/ml) in 2.5, 0.3, 2.0 and 1.5 % SFWM respectively on the 10th day of culture. Highest chlorophyll a content was also observed on the 10th day of culture with value of 6.14 and 5.52 mg/l in BBM and SFWM, respectively. The specific growth rate (SGR, m/day) and total biomass were significantly (P<0.05) higher in BBM than all other treatments. The overall growth performance of the alga Scenedesmus obliquus was significantly (P<0.05) higher in 2.5% SFWM than other concentrations of SFWM. The cultured microalgae were found nutritionally rich. During the whole culture period the pH range was 7.03 to 8.05. The other physico-chemical parameters of the culture media were found within the suitable range of the microalgae culture. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjas.v37i1. 9874 BJAS 2008; 37(1): 86-93
RNames, a stratigraphical database designed for the statistical analysis of fossil occurrences – the Ordovician diversification as a case study

RNames (rnames.luomus.fi/) is an open access relational database linking stratigraphic units with each other that are considered to be time-equivalent or time overlapping. RNames is also a tool to correlate among stratigraphic units. The structure of the database allows for a wide range of queries and applications. Currently three algorithms are available, which calculate a set of correlation tables with Ordovician stratigraphic units time binned into high-resolution chronostratigraphic slices (Global Ordovician Stages, Stage Slices, Time Slices). The ease of availability of differently binned stratigraphic units and the potential to create new schemes are the main advantages and goals of RNames. Different timebinned stratigraphic units can be matched with other databases and allow for simultaneous up-to-date analyses of stratigraphically constrained estimates in various schemes. We exemplify these new possibilities with our compiled Ordovician data and analyse fossil collections of the Paleobiology Database based on the three different binning schemes. The presented diversity curves are the first sub-stage level, global, marine diversity curves for the Ordovician. A comparison among the curves reveals that differences in time slicing have a major effect on the shape of the curve. Despite uncertainties in Early and Late Ordovician diversities, our calculations confirm earlier estimates that Ordovician diversification climaxed globally during the Darriwilian stage. Björn Kröger. Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 44, Fi-00014, Helsinki, Finland, bjorn.kroger@helsinki.fi Kari Lintulaakso. Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 44, Fi-00014, Helsinki, Finland, kari.lintulaakso@helsinki.fi
ALGORITHM XXX: SC-SR1: MATLAB software for solving shape-changing L-SR1 trust-region subproblems

We present a MATLAB implementation of the shape-changing symmetric rank-one (SC-SR1) method that solves trust-region subproblems when a limited-memory symmetric rank-one (L-SR1) matrix is used in place of the true Hessian matrix. The method takes advantage of two shape-changing norms [4, 3] to decompose the trust-region subproblem into two separate problems. Using one of the proposed shape-changing norms, the resulting subproblems then have closed-form solutions. In the other proposed norm, one of the resulting subproblems has a closed-form solution while the other is easily solvable using techniques that exploit the structure of L-SR1 matrices. Numerical results suggest that the SC-SR1 method is able to solve trust-region subproblems to high accuracy even in the so-called "hard case".
Backpropamine: training self-modifying neural networks with differentiable neuromodulated plasticity

The impressive lifelong learning in animal brains is primarily enabled by plastic changes in synaptic connectivity. Importantly, these changes are not passive, but are actively controlled by neuromodulation, which is itself under the control of the brain. The resulting self-modifying abilities of the brain play an important role in learning and adaptation, and are a major basis for biological reinforcement learning. Here we show for the first time that artificial neural networks with such neuromodulated plasticity can be trained with gradient descent. Extending previous work on differentiable Hebbian plasticity, we propose a differentiable formulation for the neuromodulation of plasticity. We show that neuromodulated plasticity improves the performance of neural networks on both reinforcement learning and supervised learning tasks. In one task, neuromodulated plastic LSTMs with millions of parameters outperform standard LSTMs on a benchmark language modeling task (controlling for the number of parameters). We conclude that differentiable neuromodulation of plasticity offers a powerful new framework for training neural networks.
Epidemiological study of mental disorders in Gharb Region (North-West) of Morocco

Survey of Moroccan Health Ministry found that 48.9% of 5600 persons in the general population had a mental disorder and 26.5% were depressed. Objectives: The objective of this epidemiological study is to identify the socioeconomic and neuropsychiatrical profiles of patients examined at the Hospital Moulay El Hassan of Kenitra city (Northwest of Morocco) for psychiatric disorders. Subjects and Methods: This research is a retrospective study conducted between February 2010 and December 2013, among 5618 patients (between 1 and 90 years of age). The study is realized on the basis of social and clinical data existing in patients’ records. Results: The most important obtained results show that in 5618 cases studied, about 50% of women and about 50% of men patients had suffered from psychiatric disorders. Moreover, mood disorders were the most common reasons for hospitalization (38.24%). The other psychiatric disorders were schizophrenia and psychotic disorders (17.55%), followed by anxiety disorders (13.65%). In addition, 71% of patients don’t have parents alive and 51.62% of patients suffering from mood disorders are married and 51.61% are divorced. The proportion of illiterate patients is 42.98% and inactive or unemployed patients (85.87%). Conclusion: The prevalence of mental disorders in the Gharb region is important. It affects both men and women and are more developed in some socioeconomic categories. However, deeper investigations are needed in order to identify the factors that contribute to raising of these disorders in the society.
Determinants of Internal versus External R&D Offshoring: Evidence from Spanish Firms

This paper analyzes the determinants of R&D offshoring of Spanish firms using infor-mation from the Panel of Technological Innovation. We find that being an exporter, continuous R&D engagement, applying for patents, being a subsidiary, and firm size are factors that positively affect the decision to offshore R&D. In addition, we obtain that the factors that influence this decision for firms that belong to a business group differ depending on whether the firm purchases R&D services within the group or through the market.
Offending, drug abuse and life chances—a longitudinal study of a Stockholm birth cohort

There are many factors, both empirical and theoretical, which indicate that drug abuse can play an important role in explaining the links between criminality and life chances when viewed from a life-course perspective. In this article, we examine the links between crime and drug abuse and social inclusion and exclusion in adult life, and look at whether there are gender-specific patterns in these regards. The Stockholm Birth Cohort database allows us to follow a birth cohort born in 1953 to age 56. The results show that drug abuse is central both to processes of continuity in and desistance from crime and to life chances in adulthood. For the adult outcomes that relate to work and health, we also note a tendency towards polarization; the size of both the relative and the absolute differences between the comparison group and offenders with registered drug abuse increases over time. The same general pattern can be seen for males and females.
Studio della relazione genitore - bambino in soggetti con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico

Il presente lavoro ha lo scopo di studiare in dettaglio l’interazione genitore-bambino in famiglie con bambini con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico (che verranno sintetizzati con l’acronimo ASD dalla definizione inglese “Autism Spectrum Disorder”). I disturbi dello spettro autistico sono disordini del neurosviluppo che alterando nei primi anni di vita la capacita di mettersi in relazione con gli altri, determinano gravi effetti cognitivi, affettivi e comportamentali. Le ricerche condotte negli ultimi decenni nell'ambito della psicologia dello sviluppo hanno evidenziato il ruolo centrale delle relazioni genitoriali nello sviluppo del bambino, sia in bambini con sviluppo tipico che con sviluppo atipico. Questo lavoro di tesi ha l’obiettivo di osservare alcuni aspetti peculiari dell’interazione genitore-bambino in bambini con disturbo dello spettro autistico, considerando come il deficit a livello del “cervello sociale” si ripercuote sullo strutturarsi e il mantenersi di questa relazione. Nel presente lavoro si collocano quattro studi. In particolar modo saranno analizzate nel primo studio le caratteristiche del gioco in diadi madre-bambino con ASD confrontandole con diadi madre-bambino in cui il bambino presenta la Sindrome di Down o lo sviluppo tipico al fine di evidenziare similitudini e differenze sia nelle abilita manifestate dalle madri sia per quelle espresse dai bambini. Nel secondo studio, verra approfondito l’aspetto del gioco specificatamente in interazione madre-bambino e padre-bambino in famiglie con bambini con ASD, al fine di osservare se la capacita di gioco manifestate dal bambino si differenzino in base alla figura genitoriale con cui stanno interagendo e per evidenziare se madre e padre evidenziano delle caratteristiche peculiari in base al ruolo genitoriale rivestito. Il terzo studio, invece, si e concentrato sull’analisi dello scambio sincronico all’interno delle diadi madre-bambino con disturbo dello spettro autistico confrontandolo con interazioni con bambini con sviluppo tipico e sindrome di Down, con lo scopo di osservare piu in dettaglio la struttura dello scambio diadico per evidenziare i contribuiti specifici di entrambi i membri della diade, mostrando come possano differire in base alla presenza o meno di una patologia. Infine nel quarto studio sara osservata la disponibilita emotiva diadica all’interno di famiglie di bambini con disturbo dello spettro autistico, analizzando sia i comportamenti del bambino sia i comportanti delle due figure genitoriali.
‘Nobody’s better than you, nobody’s worse than you’: Moral community among prisoners convicted of sexual offences

Sex offenders constitute a significant proportion of the prison population – in England and Wales, almost one in six prisoners has been convicted of a sexual offence – and yet they barely feature in sociological studies of prison life. This article is based on research conducted in a medium security English prison which only accommodated sex offenders. It argues that if we are to understand prisoners’ experiences of imprisonment and identity management, it is necessary to explore their horizontal relationships with other prisoners. Prisoners experienced their convictions as an assault on their moral character, resenting attempts to define them as ‘sex offenders’. Following Sykes, we argue that prisoners attempted to form an accepting and equal moral community in order to mitigate the pain of this moral exclusion and to enable the development of a convivial atmosphere. However, these attempts were limited by imprisonment’s structural limitations on trust and prisoners’ imported negative feelings about sex offenders. This suggests that sex offenders may have more complex feelings towards their own moral exclusion than is suggested by their attempts to resist their own stigmatisation.
Breakdown at the morphological level in agrammatism

In this study, we intend to take a closer look at the morphological deficit observed in agrammatism from the two perspectives of language production and language comprehension. In order to be able to assess the influence of the syntactic context on the patients’ ability to correctly produce and comprehend morphological material, we administered several tests to a group of Germanspeaking agrammatic patients. Some of these tests aimed at assessing the agrammatic subjects’ morphological abilities in production and comprehension in morpholexical tasks (such as structural analysis of compounds and nominal plural formation), whereas others were intended to provide information on the patients’ capacity to make use of morphology in syntactic contexts of differing degrees of complexity (case assignment in prepositional phrases, noun phrases, canonical and non-canonical sentences; interpretation of ambiguously and unambiguously case-marked constituents in canonical and non-canonical position). The results show that the agrammatic patients were generally able to exploit morphology in both production and comprehension in the morpholexical tasks and in local or canonical syntactic structures. Performance deteriorated, however, when the production or interpretation of morphological markers depended on more complex syntactic configurations. We argue that the breakdown of morphology in agrammatism must thus be considered as the consequence of an underlying syntactic deficit and that the results further provide neurolinguistic evidence for theories of Lexical Morphology.
Labor Contracts and Flexibility: Evidence from a Labor Market Reform in Spain

type="main" xml:lang="en"> This paper evaluates the effects of a labor market reform in Spain that removed restrictions on fixed-term or temporary contracts. Our empirical results are based on longitudinal firm-level data that cover observations before and after the reform. We posit and estimate a dynamic labor demand model with indefinite and fixed-term labor contracts, and a general structure of labor adjustment costs. Experiments using the estimated model show important positive effects of the reform on total employment (i.e., a 3.5% increase) and job turnover. There is a strong substitution of permanent by temporary workers (i.e., a 10% decline in permanent employment). The effects on labor productivity and the value of firms are very small. In contrast, a counterfactual reform that halved all firing costs would produce the same employment increase as the actual reform, but much larger improvements in productivity and in the value of firms. (JEL J23, J32, J41)