Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Back to the future: assessing the damage of 2004 Dhaka flood in the 2050 urban environment

Planning to make a city flood resilient needs proper assessment of future conditions. Urban growth models are being used as a planning tool for city development. Within the project Collaborative Research in Flood Resilience in Urban Areas (CORFU), flood management strategies suitable for cities with varied geographic and socio‐economic conditions have been developed. In the paper, we adopted urban growth model to project the possible future conditions of Dhaka City, the rapidly developing capital of Bangladesh. Bangladesh lies in the delta of the Himalayan Mountain range and experiences frequent flooding. In 2004 an extreme nationwide flood event occurred, which caused major damage to Dhaka City. If the same event were to occur in 2050, it can be expected that the damage would increase significantly. Through the application of the urban growth, hydraulic and damage assessment models, we were able to determine the damage that can be expected to happen in 2050. The paper also describes the key factors that are important to determine this impact and the associated uncertainties.
Study of knee angle in tribal children of Andhra Pradesh

Background: Knee angle shifts from genu varum (bow leg) in newborn to neutral (0°) in infants and thereby, it becomes genu valgum (knock knee) in childhood as child begins to stand and walk. This sequential growth causes variation in gait and posture particularly up to 7-8 years of childhood stage. Aims and Objectives: This study establishes baseline data of knee angle in Indian tribal children of Andhra Pradesh. Despite its clinical importance and social relevance, literature is scanty in Indian population especially in tribal children. Materials and Methods: Tibiofemoral angle (TFA) was measured clinically using universal goniometer in 360 normal Indian tribal children of 2-14 years age group. Each age group comprised of 15 male and 15 female children. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), thigh length (TL), leg length (LL) and lower limb length (LLL) were noted for all subjects to establish their relationship with TFA. Results: It was found that physiological varus rarely persists after 2 years of age. Beyond 2 years there was consistent increase in knee valgus. A maximum mean knee valgus of 8° TFA was observed in girls at 6:<7 years, while 6° TFA was found in boys of 7:<8 years age group. Thereafter progressive decrease in mean knee valgus of 5-6° was seen up to 10:<11 years age group which in later ages stabilizes to 6-7° in both sexes. The overall pattern of knee valgus was found to be higher in girls than boys. Data revealed significant positive correlation between TFA and other parameters in both sexes at p <0.05 significance level. Conclusion: Age wise knee angle values for 2-14 year age group tribal children of Andhra Pradesh provided by this study could be of potential benefit to the physicians, orthopedic surgeons, pediatricians, radiologists, and physiotherapists while evaluating growth related shift patterns. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.7(5) 2016 75-81
A Framework for Constrained Optimization Problems Based on a Modified Particle Swarm Optimization

This paper develops a particle swarm optimization (PSO) based framework for constrained optimization problems (COPs). Aiming at enhancing the performance of PSO, a modified PSO algorithm, named SASPSO 2011, is proposed by adding a newly developed self-adaptive strategy to the standard particle swarm optimization 2011 (SPSO 2011) algorithm. Since the convergence of PSO is of great importance and significantly influences the performance of PSO, this paper first theoretically investigates the convergence of SASPSO 2011. Then, a parameter selection principle guaranteeing the convergence of SASPSO 2011 is provided. Subsequently, a SASPSO 2011-based framework is established to solve COPs. Attempting to increase the diversity of solutions and decrease optimization difficulties, the adaptive relaxation method, which is combined with the feasibility-based rule, is applied to handle constraints of COPs and evaluate candidate solutions in the developed framework. Finally, the proposed method is verified through 4 benchmark test functions and 2 real-world engineering problems against six PSO variants and some well-known methods proposed in the literature. Simulation results confirm that the proposed method is highly competitive in terms of the solution quality and can be considered as a vital alternative to solve COPs.
Support for female entrepreneurs in South Africa: Improvement or decline?

Die Witskrif in 1995 van die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid oor ‘n nasionale strategie vir die ontwikkeling en bevordering van klein ondernemings in Suid-Afrika het spesiale melding gemaak van die bevordering en bemagtiging van vroue in alle bedryfsektore. Klein ondernemings bied aan vroue toegang tot ekonomiese geleenthede by wyse van entrepreneurskap en indiensneming. Die klem op die ontwikkeling van vroulike entrepreneurs was waarskynlik ‘n poging om die wanbalans tussen die geslagte en die besit van besighede reg te stel asook om die probleem van werkloosheid in Suid-Afrika aan te spreek. Die vraag ontstaan of die posisie van vroulike entrepreneurs met betrekking tot finansiering, konsultasie, opleiding en die verskaffing van infrastruktuur enigsins na die verskyning van die Witskrif verander het. ‘n Delphi-ondersoek is onder kenners omtrent die ontwikkeling van vroulike entrepreneurs in Suid-Afrika uitgevoer om hulle siening van steun aan vroue-entrepreneurs voor en na 1995 te bepaal. Hoewel daar steeds struikelblokke in die weg van vroue se toetrede tot die besigheidswereld bestaan, was die meeste respondente in die Delphi-ondersoek van mening dat die posisie van vroue-entrepreneurs verbeter het.
Productive Consumption and Population Dynamics in an Endogenous Growth Model: Why Are Population Growth Rates Declining in Poor Countries? †

This paper shows that by endogenizing population growth rate an endogenous growth model under productive consumption hypothesis (PCH) can be more tractable than we have considered so far, and finds that PCH may have important implications for population dynamics. In contrast to Steger (2000), we focus on a BGP with a constant level of per-capita income. We find that the model may have a unique or multiple saddle-point stable BGPs in both no- and positive-saving phases. In the no-saving phase more relevant to poor economies, population growth rate may rise or decline monotonically along a transition path. The theoretical results are realistically relevant; the recent trend of declining population growth rates in modern developing countries could be explained. Furthermore, we find that “human development” aid promoting the accumulation of knowledge about nutrition, health and/or education may reduce per-capita GDP and does not always improve welfare.
The Crisis and Economic Recovery in Baltic Countries

This paper analyses the crisis and economic recovery in three Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Using macroeconomic data for the three countries over a 12-year period, 2005-2011, the paper examines the factors leading to- and out the crisis, the policy responses to the crisis, an evaluation of their recovery and the lessons that can be learned. The present analysis undoubtedly shows that Estonia has passed the crisis due to excellent readiness with least losses, and it was valued at the admission to the EU Euro countries union. What about other two countries? They have passed the crisis with huge losses. Policymakers in all three countries are now under pressure to act. What after-crisis policy strategies are under choice from a long-term perspective? The paper concludes with an outline of key lessons for policy makers from the experience of the three small countries.
T2-weighted MRI findings predictive of parametrial involvement in patients with cervical cancer and histologically confirmed full thickness stromal invasion

Purpose: To record the T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) appearance of the cervical rim in cervical cancer patients with histologically confirmed full thickness stromal invasion and to identify any signs predictive of parametrial involvement in this particular subset of patients. Material and Methods: During a 5-year period, 30/115 patients surgically treated for early cervical cancer (FIGO<IIB) had full thickness stromal invasion on surgicopathological examination; 15/30 patients had parametrial invasion on histology. All patients were evaluated with pelvic MRI, preoperatively. Two expert radiologists retrospectively reviewed all MRIs. The presence of the following T2WI characteristics was recorded for each side of the cervical rim: thinning (<3 mm), complete loss of normal hypointense signal, diffuse signal inhomogeneity, irregularity of inner and outer cervical border and peritumoural fat stranding. The above signs were evaluated alone and in combination in search for any correlation with parametrial involvement. Results: Diffuse signal inhomogeneity, shaggy inner border and small focal disruptions of the normal low T2 cervical rim were the most frequent findings on T2WI. Diffuse signal inhomogeneity and peritumoural fat stranding were the only MRI features significantly associated with parametrial invasion. Complete loss of the low T2 cervical rim was observed in approximately 25% of patients with parametrial involvement. In 4/15 patients the cervical rim appeared intact. Conclusions: Diffuse signal inhomogeneity of the cervical rim and peritumoural fat stranding were the only MRI signs significantly associated with parametrial involvement in patients with cervical cancer and full stromal invasion. An intact hypointense cervical rim does not exclude tumour extension to the parametrial fat.
Critical Knowledge of Curriculum in Practice: The Case of Social Studies.

ABSTRACT This paper has two purposes: (1) to describe how qualitative studies, drawing on educational criticism, have thrown into relief some salient features of curriculum and instruction in social studies; and (2) to compare and contrast the current reform proposal to upgrade geography education. The qualitative studies that are reviewed are the hcCutcheon Study (1981) on elementary school teachers' planning, the Rogers and Uhrmachef report (1986) on citizenship education, and the Thornto. study (in press) on the relationships between what teachers plan to teach, what ensues in the classroom, and what students learn. The second issue, geography education, is discussed through an analysis of discipline-based geography, and the Thornton and Wenger study is compared to the above studies on educational criticism. The findings from the Thornton and Wenger study indicate that teachers teach social studies rather than geography' as a discipline with attention focused on sequential learning and concepts. Educational criticism appraises educators of what is being taught and how instruction is conducted while it assures that policy and practice are mutually informed. A 27-item bibliography is included. (DJC)
Effect of Phosphoric Acid Concentration on the Optical Properties of Partially Phosphorylated PVA Complexes

Partially phosphorylated polyvinyl alcohol (PPVA) films were prepared at five mole ratios of phosphoric acid (PA) using solution casting technique. The optical properties of the PPVA films were examined using UV-visible (UV) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The UV absorption spectra reveal that the absorption peaks are blue-shifted with an increase in PA concentration added to the pure PVA. The PL spectra show the presence of peaks which are characteristic of isotactic (389–398, 460–462 nm), syndiotactic (418–420 nm), and atactic (440–446 nm) configurations of the PPVA. The results also show the peak of O–P–O bonding at a wavelength range of 481–489 nm.
Small-scale variability of protistan planktonic communities relative to environmental pressures and biotic interactions at two adjacent coastal stations

: The aim of this study was to analyze planktonic protistan assemblages under different environmental pressures at 2 adjacent coastal stations (inshore and offshore; ~6.4 km apart) in the eastern English Channel (EEC). Samples were collected between March 2012 and June 2013, and analyzed using bioinformatic analysis and tag pyrosequencing of the V2−V3 hypervariable region of the 18S rRNA gene. In addition to the taxonomic composition of the protistan communities, the detected operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were sorted into 6 major functional groups based on their trophic roles in marine systems. Comparisons of 13 environmental factors, including physical and chemical variables, indicated significant differences between the 2 stations. However, the only significant relationship between environmental pressures and protistan community structure was detected when the trophic role of the OTUs was considered at the inshore station. In order to interpret differences in community structure, the effect of biotic inter actions was investigated through the examination of the co-occurrence networks of the protistan communities at both stations. In terms of the number of edges and connectivity of nodes, the analysis showed that the inshore station had more complex associations between OTUs than the offshore station. This strongly suggests that due to the higher and more variable environmental pressures the inshore station comparatively receives, its protistan community has developed a greater complexity of biotic connections. This in turn reflects the rapid responses of trophic interactions within the entire microbial community.
Testing of the CHEMTAX program in contrasting Neotropical lakes, lagoons, and swamps

The problem using the CHEMTAX program in freshwater environments is that the few matrices of pigment ratios available have not been tested in a wide range of environments. Sixteen Amazonian, Andean, and Caribbean lakes, lagoons, and swamps were sampled over a year. The aim was to determine if it was possible to obtain a reliable matrix of input pigment ratios that may be used in freshwater habitats with different environmental conditions. There were no clear differences among regions for most of the ratios of marker pigments to Chlorophyll a (Chl a) in most of the phytoplankton groups. Only the zeaxanthin/Chl a ratio showed clear variations among areas. The estimates for the mean relative contribution of each phytoplankton group calculated for the pigment ratios obtained in each separate habitat and season were very similar to the estimates calculated using the average pigment ratio obtained for all habitats and seasons. Our study suggests that the matrix of the average pigment ratio obtained in this study can be used to estimate phytoplankton class abundances with the CHEMTAX program in freshwater habitats with different limnological conditions.
College Major Choice, Spatial Inequality and Elite Formation: Evidence from South Africa

This paper explores the determinants of college major choice in the presence of significant inter-group and spatial inequalities. I combine four years of admissions application data at an elite university in South Africa with quarterly labor force data to trace the link between aptitude-weighted expected earnings, spatial inequality and the choice of college major. The results show that much of the effect of expected earnings on college major choice operates through the choice of high school curriculum. Black and white individuals respond to differentials in expected earnings differently. Spatial inequality influences major choice through high school curriculum, near-peer role models and relative achievement at high school level. Identification is achieved through the help of a rich set of academic and geographic information contained in the admissions database.
Red cell distribution width predicts length of stay in patients with acutely decompensated heart failure

Objective: Red cell distribution width (RDW) refers to the measure of variability in the size of erythrocytes, with higher values which was shown previously to designate a poor survival in heart failure (HF). We aimed to investigate relation between admission RDW level and the length of hospital stay (LOS) in HF patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 230 consecutive acutely decompensated HF patients (149 males, 81 females) were evaluated prospectively. The median LOS was six days, and the patients were classified into two groups, being those with LOS <7 days (Group I) and those with LOS ≥7 days (Group II, longer LOS). Results: The mean age was 71±11 years. Patients with longer LOS had significantly higher RDW (16.7±2.9 vs 15.5±2.1%, p=0.001) and BUN levels (p=0.041), and lower triglyceride levels (p=0.029) than those with shorter LOS. RDW and triglyceride levels were found to have prognostic significance in univariate analyses. In a multivariate logistic regression model, only RDW level (OR=1.231, 95% CI: 1.075-1.410, p=0.003) remained associated with a longer LOS. Conclusion: It would appear that in a cohort of acutely decompensated HF patients, RDW independently predicted prolonged LOS
The Chinese GDP Growth Rate Puzzle: How Fast Has the Chinese Economy Grown?

The Chinese statistical authorities recently revised the Chinese GDP level and real growth rate for the period 19932004 following China's first national economic census for 2004. However, the methodology used in their revision is opaque. Using a trend- deviation interpolation approach, this study has managed to replicate the basic procedures of the revision and reproduced the official estimates. Through this exercise, we have found that the estimates that could be obtained by the straightforward interpolation procedures were significantly modified. Based on a political economy argument, we attempt to explain why the revision had to leave the growth rate of 1998 intact and why it had to bypass the price issue and directly work on the real growth rate revision. Based on previous studies and other observations, we also question the census results on non-service industries.
Study on porcine respiratory disease complex from slaughtered pigs in Namwon, Korea

Abstract Porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) continues to be a significant economic problem to the swine industry. In order to elucidate the etiology of PRDC including porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), porcine reproductive and respiratory disease syndrome virus (PRRSV), swine influenza virus (SIV), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MH), Pasteurella multocida (PM) and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) in Namwon, the 455 lung samples were randomly collected from slaughtered pigs, examined gross lesions indicative of respiratory disease of lung and classified the lung lesion according to the severity of lung lesions. Two hundred pigs lung tissues with pneumonic lesions were examined for pathogen by PCR. As a result, the numbers of pneumonic lesions were 357 (78.5%), mean pneumonic score (mean±SD) was 2.03±0.90 and the highest gross lesion according to stages was 1 (11∼20%). In detection of pathogens, PCV2, PRRSV, SIV, MH, APP and PM were positive in 76.5%, 5.0%, 6.0%, 9.0%, 4.5% and 6.0%, respectively and PCV2-MH was the most detected causative pathogens of PRDC in co-infection. In the serological test for PRRSV, PCV2, MH, APP2, APP5, HP and PM, showed high antibody positive rates 93% or more.
Pediatric traumatic brain injury—a review of management strategies

Management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children varies due to differing physician practices and availability of resources. Optimizing treatment to meet the physiologic demands of the wounded brain is crucial to achieve maximal recovery and minimize secondary injury. This review aims to discuss and update the different aspects of acute care in a child with TBI. A literature search for relevant original and review articles was carried out via PubMed. Relevant literatures from adult studies were included where there was a lack of pediatric data. Case reports and non-English articles were excluded. Acute airway management with carefully chosen sedative agents, appropriate ventilation and hyperosmolar therapy strategies are targeted at maintaining normal cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). The goal of temperature control and glycemic control is to maintain normal ranges to optimize outcomes. Decisions for neuroimaging and initiation of anticonvulsants are weighed against potential complications. Achieving a beneficial neurological outcome for pediatric patients with TBI depends on effective management from the onset of injury. More high quality collaborative prospective research is required to develop individualized management strategies for our pediatric TBI patients in the acute setting.
Solar tower combined cycle plant with thermal storage: energy and exergy analyses

There has been a growing interest in the recent time for the development of solar power tower plants, which are mainly used for utility scale power generation. Combined heat and power (CHP) is an efficient and clean approach to generate electric power and useful thermal energy from a single heat source. The waste heat from the topping Brayton cycle is utilized in the bottoming HRSG cycle for driving steam turbine and also to produce process steam so that efficiency of the cycle is increased. A thermal storage system is likely to add greater reliability to such plants, providing power even during non-peak sunshine hours. This paper presents a conceptual configuration of a solar power tower combined heat and power plant with a topping air Brayton cycle. A simple downstream Rankine cycle with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and a process heater have been considered for integration with the solar Brayton cycle. The conventional GT combustion chamber is replaced with a solar receiver. The combined cycle has been analyzed using energy as well as exergy methods for a range of pressure ratio across the GT block. From the thermodynamic analysis, it is found that such an integrated system would give a maximum total power (2.37 MW) at a much lower pressure ratio (5) with an overall efficiency exceeding 27%. The solar receiver and heliostats are the main components responsible for exergy destruction. However, exergetic performance of the components is found to improve at higher pressure ratio of the GT block.
UNIT TOTAL COSTS: AN ALTERNATIVE MARGINAL COST PROXY FOR INFLATION DYNAMICS

The New Keynesian Phillips curve (NKPC) driven by unit labor costs has been criticized for failing to match inflation dynamics and for failing to explain the duration of price contracts. This paper extends recent attempts in the literature to improve the fit of the NKPC, by introducing a fuller marginal cost proxy, unit total costs, that is derived from both labor and nonlabor unit costs; the latter include capital-related costs and production taxes. Borrowing costs are examined separately, as in the cost channel literature. Unit total costs are shown to improve the fit of the short-run variation in inflation and strengthen the empirical support for the role of expectations-based inflation persistence. They also imply a duration of fixed nominal contracts that is closer to those suggested by firm-level surveys. The cost channel becomes relatively less important when unit total costs, rather than unit labor costs, are used as a marginal cost proxy.
Political Versus Managerial Use of Cost and Performance Accounting

This article explains why it is impossible to use cost and performance accounting in public administration purely as an instrument for internal management. The authors report on a survey in Switzerland which highlighted the different expectations that politicians and managers have for cost and performance accounting. The authors warn that politicians and managers need to be aware of the conflicts arising from their different information needs. New cost and performance accounting systems need to be designed to satisfy both groups.