Groundwater level prediction using a multiple objective genetic algorithm-grey relational analysis based weighted ensemble of anfis models

Predicting groundwater levels is critical for ensuring sustainable use of an aquifer’s limited groundwater reserves and developing a useful groundwater abstraction management strategy. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive accuracy and estimation capability of various models based on the Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). These models included Differential Evolution-ANFIS (DE-ANFIS), Particle Swarm Optimization-ANFIS (PSO-ANFIS), and traditional Hybrid Algorithm tuned ANFIS (HA-ANFIS) for the one-and multi-week forward forecast of groundwater levels at three observation wells. Model-independent partial autocorrelation functions followed by frequentist lasso regression-based feature selection approaches were used to recognize appropriate input variables for the prediction models. The performances of the ANFIS models were evaluated using various statistical performance evaluation indexes. The results revealed that the optimized ANFIS models performed equally well in predicting one-week-ahead groundwater levels at the observation wells when a set of various performance evaluation indexes were used. For improving prediction accuracy, a weighted-average ensemble of ANFIS models was proposed, in which weights for the individual ANFIS models were calculated using a Multiple Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA). The MOGA accounts for a set of benefits (higher values indicate better model performance) and cost (smaller values indicate better model performance) performance indexes calculated on the test dataset. Grey relational analysis was used to select the best solution from a set of feasible solutions produced by a MOGA. A MOGA-based individual model ranking revealed the superiority of DE-ANFIS (weight = 0.827), HA-ANFIS (weight = 0.524), and HAANFIS (weight = 0.697) at observation wells GT8194046, GT8194048, and GT8194049, respectively. Shannon’s entropy-based decision theory was utilized to rank the ensemble and individual ANFIS models using a set of performance indexes. The ranking result indicated that the ensemble model outperformed all individual models at all observation wells (ranking value = 0.987, 0.985, and 0.995 at observation wells GT8194046, GT8194048, and GT8194049, respectively). The worst performers were PSO-ANFIS (ranking value = 0.845), PSO-ANFIS (ranking value = 0.819), and DE-ANFIS (ranking value = 0.900) at observation wells GT8194046, GT8194048, and GT8194049, respectively. The generalization capability of the proposed ensemble modelling approach was evaluated for forecasting 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-weeks ahead groundwater levels using data from GT8194046. The evaluation results confirmed the useability of the ensemble modelling for forecasting groundwater levels at higher forecasting horizons. The study demonstrated that the ensemble approach may be successfully used to predict multi-week-ahead groundwater levels, utilizing previous lagged groundwater levels as inputs

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BANGLADESH: A MIXED METHODOLOGY APPROACH

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji peran kewirausahaan perempuan dalam proses pemberdayaan perempuan di Chittagong, Bangladesh. Studi ini meneliti hubungan antara bisnis perempuan dan pemberdayaan sosial perempuan. Sebanyak 160 responden diwawancarai selama fase pengumpulan data pertama (80 ibu rumah tangga non-usaha dan 80 ibu rumah tangga perusahaan). Berdasarkan kesimpulan penelitian ini, kewirausahaan memiliki pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap kemampuan perempuan dalam menentukan pilihan dalam keluarganya, khususnya di rumah. Selain itu, penelitian ini menemukan bahwa perempuan pengusaha memiliki kontrol yang lebih besar atas sumber daya dan aset mereka daripada non-pengusaha (ibu rumah tangga). Mereka juga memiliki lebih banyak mobilitas sosial, keterlibatan politik, dan suara di rumah dan kesehatan keluarga mereka daripada wanita yang tidak bekerja. Di sisi lain, perempuan yang tidak bekerja dalam bisnis memiliki pengetahuan dan kesadaran yang lebih sedikit tentang perubahan iklim, penanggulangan bencana, dan hak-hak perempuan dibandingkan mereka yang melakukannya. Menurut temuan penelitian, memiliki akses cepat ke pinjaman pembayaran dengan syarat dan ketentuan yang menguntungkan sangat penting untuk kesuksesan bisnis. Penelitian lebih lanjut harus dilakukan di Chittagong, Bangladesh, di mana pendapatan rumah tangga perempuan signifikan untuk pertumbuhan sosial dan ekonomi. Kata Kunci: Pemberdayaan, Pengusaha, Bangladesh, Pembangunan, Pengambilan Keputusan, SDGs. Abstract This research aimed to examine the role of female entrepreneurship in the process of female empowerment in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The study examined the link between women's business and women's social empowerment. A total of 160 respondents were interviewed throughout the first data-gathering phase (80 non-enterprise homemakers and 80 enterprise housewives). According to the conclusions of this study, entrepreneurship has a significant influence on women's ability to make choices in their families, notably at home. Additionally, this study discovered that businesswomen had greater control over their resources and assets than non-businesswomen (homemakers). They also have more social mobility, political involvement, and a say in their home and family's health than women who do not work. On the other hand, women who do not work in the business have less knowledge and awareness about climate change, disaster management, and women's rights than those who do. According to the research findings, having rapid access to a pay loan with favourable terms and conditions is critical to a business's success. More research should be done in Chittagong, Bangladesh, where household women's income is significant for social and economic growth. Keywords: Empowerment, Entrepreneur, Bangladesh, Development, Decision Making, SDGs

‘VACCINE DIPLOMACY’ AND ‘VACCINE NATIONALISM’ IN THE POSTCOVID-19 ERA: AN APPRAISAL FROM THE BANGLADESHI PERSPECTIVE

The impact of global political actors on vaccine diplomacy and vaccine nationalism will be discussed in depth in this research study. First, vaccine pulls in developed countries long before vaccines were discovered and manufactured. Second, vaccine diplomacy and nationalism have emerged as a new tool for safeguarding inter-state relations; it is a weapon for extending imperialism in contemporary international politics. As a result, many governments have competed to announce vaccine gifts or advance supplies to other countries to sway public opinion while failing to meet their needs. For example, the Seram Institute of India failed to produce the promised vaccine due to the severe corona infection and complete failure of the death-oxygen-health system in India. As a result, 1.3 million people out of 3.5 million who received the first dose could receive the second dose. Bangladesh's government has stepped up diplomatic efforts outside India to gather and manufacture vaccines with Russia and China. Furthermore, Bangladesh's government is stepping up diplomatic attempts to obtain vaccines from the USA, Japan, and the UK. Finally, this study will examine how vaccine diplomacy and vaccine nationalism work in Bangladesh regarding vaccine collection.Keywords: Diplomacy, Nationalism, Negotiation, Globalization, Pandemic, Covid-19AbstrakArtikel ini membahas tentang Dampak aktor politik global terhadap diplomasi vaksin dan nasionalisme vaksin. Pertama, penarikan vaksin di negara maju jauh sebelum vaksin ditemukan dan diproduksi. Kedua, diplomasi vaksin dan nasionalisme telah muncul sebagai alat baru untuk menjaga hubungan antar negara; itu adalah senjata untuk memperluas imperialisme dalam politik internasional kontemporer. Akibatnya, banyak pemerintah bersaing untuk mengumumkan hadiah vaksin atau memajukan pasokan ke negara lain untuk mempengaruhi opini publik sementara gagal memenuhi kebutuhan mereka. Misalnya, Institut Seram India gagal memproduksi vaksin yang dijanjikan karena infeksi korona yang parah dan kegagalan total sistem kesehatan oksigen kematian di India. Akibatnya, 1,3 juta orang dari 3,5 juta yang menerima dosis pertama dapat menerima dosis kedua. Pemerintah Bangladesh telah meningkatkan upaya diplomatik di luar India untuk mengumpulkan dan memproduksi vaksin dengan Rusia dan China. Selain itu, pemerintah Bangladesh meningkatkan upaya diplomatik untuk mendapatkan vaksin dari Amerika Serikat, Jepang, dan Inggris. Terakhir, penelitian ini akan mengkaji bagaimana diplomasi vaksin dan nasionalisme vaksin bekerja di Bangladesh terkait pengumpulan vaksin.Kata kunci: Diplomasi, Nasionalisme, Negosiasi, Globalisasi, Pandemi, Covid-1

Solution combustion synthesis of calcium hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of calcium hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, (HA) an important material for biomedical applications and other non-medical uses were synthesized by combustion in the aqueous system Ca-nitrate–diammonium hydrogen orthophosphate–urea. The combustion behaviour and phase evolution with respect to the Ca/P atom ratio in the starting materials were investigated. Single-phase hydroxyapatite particles were obtained when the Ca/P ratio in the starting batch was 1.75. Below this ratio the products contained mainly hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2, TCP), the relative abundance of these phases being dependent upon the batch composition. In all these cases, the particles were equiaxed, nanosized (60 – 130 nm) and occurred as easily dispersible soft agglomerates of sizes ranging from 0.1 to larger than 100 µm. The products were characterized for phase contents, particle size distribution and morphology

Generalized Daily Reference Evapotranspiration Models Based on a Hybrid Optimization Algorithm Tuned Fuzzy Tree Approach

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is an important driver in managing scarce water resources and making decisions on real-time and future irrigation scheduling. Therefore, accurate prediction of ET0 is crucial in the water resources management discipline. In this study, the prediction of ET0 was performed by employing several optimization algorithms tuned Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) and Fuzzy Tree (FT) models, for the first time, whose generalization capability was tested using data from other stations. The FISs and FTs were developed through parameters tuning using Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Pattern Search (PS), and their combinations. The FT was developed by combining several FIS objects that received ranked meteorological variables. A total of 50 FIS and FT models were developed and the model ranking was performed utilizing Shannon's Entropy (SE). Evaluation outcomes revealed the superiority of the hybrid PSO-GA tuned Sugeno type 1 FT model (with R = 0.929, NRMSE = 0.169, accuracy = 0.999, NS = 0.856, and IOA = 0.985) over others. For evaluating the generalization capability of the best model, three different parts of datasets (all-inclusive, 1(st) half, and 2(nd) half) of the five test stations were evaluated. The proposed hybrid PSO-GA tuned Sugeno type 1 FT model performed similarly well, according to the findings, on the datasets of the test stations. The study concluded that the hybrid PSO-GA tuned Sugeno type 1 FT approach, which was composed of several standalone FIS objects, was suitable for predicting daily ET0 values

An integrated production policy with defective items and stock-out based substitution under triangular dense fuzzy lock set environment

Brand substitution is common observed phenomenon in daily life. It is the decision makers’ economic understanding and potential scheme for business-industries. Also, it provides the flexibility in management and increases the ability to control the production. This works proposes an integrated supplier–retailer inventory model for substitutable products. Two suppliers work not works with two different brand products with their corresponding demand are involved and one retailer sells each of the products. To nullify the complexities of the joint optimization problem, we first develop a deterministic model for three cases: no substitution, partial substitution and full substitution, then we go for its fuzzification. Keeping the financial constraint of each producer, we have studied over the elasticity of the cost parameters by means of triangular dense fuzzy lock set approach with its locking and unlocking property for final decision making. Finally, sensitivity analysis and graphical illustrations are made to justify the model

Synthesis of nano-sized hydroxyapatite powders through solution combustion route under different reaction conditions

Calcium hydroxyapatite, Ca(10)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2) (HAp) was synthesized by combustion in the aqueous system containing calcium nitrate-diammonium hydrogen orthophosphate with urea and glycine as fuels. These ceramics are important materials for biomedical applications. Thermo-gravimetric and differential thermal analysis were employed to understand the nature of synthesis process during combustion. Effects of different process parameters namely, nature of fuel (urea and glycine), fuel to oxidizer ratio (0.6-4.0) and initial furnace temperature (300-700 degrees C) on the combustion behavior as well as physical properties of as-formed powders were investigated. A series of combustion reactions were carried out to optimize the reaction parameters for synthesis of nano-sized HAp powders. The combustion temperature (T(f)) for the oxidant and fuels were calculated to be 896 degrees C and 1035 degrees C for the stoichiometric system of urea and glycine respectively. The stoichiometric glycine-calcium nitrate produced higher flame temperature (both calculated and measured) and powder with lower specific surface area (8.75 m(2)/g) compared to the stoichiometric urea-calcium nitrate system (10.50 m(2)/g). Fuel excess combustion in both glycine and urea produced powders with higher surface area. Nanocrystalline HAp powder could be synthesized in situ with a large span of fuel to oxidizer ratio (phi) in case of urea system (0.8 < phi < 4) and (0.6 < phi < 1.5) for the glycine system. Calcium hydroxyapatite particles having diameters ranging between 20 nm and 120 nm could be successfully synthesized through optimized process variable. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of human rotavirus vaccine (RIX4414) in Indian infants

Aim: This study was undertaken to assess the immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of two doses of an oral live-attenuated human rotavirus vaccine, strain RIX4414 (Rotarix<SUP>TM</SUP>) in an Indian setting. Patients and Methods: Healthy infants (N=363), approximately 8 weeks of age were enrolled to receive two doses of RIX4414 vaccine (n=182) or placebo (n=181) separated by one month. To assess the immune response, blood samples were taken before vaccination and one month post-dose 2 of RIX4414/placebo. Solicited symptoms were collected for 8-days post each dose and safety data was collected throughout the study. Results: The seroconversion rate observed one month post-dose 2 in the RIX4414 group 58.3% [95% CI: 48.7; 67.4] was significantly higher when compared to the placebo group 6.3%; [95% CI: 2.5; 12.5]. The reactogenicity and safety profile was similar for both groups. Conclusions: Two doses of RIX4414 (Rotarix<SUP>TM</SUP>) were immunogenic, had a good safety profile and were well-tolerated when administered to healthy Indian infants

Prevalence and Genetic Profiling of Virulence Determinants of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Cattle, Beef, and Humans, Calcutta, India

We investigated the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in hospitalized diarrhea patients in Calcutta, India, as well as in healthy domestic cattle and raw beef samples collected from the city's abattoir. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction using primers specific for stx1 and stx2 detected STEC in 18% of cow stool samples, 50% of raw beef samples, and 1.4% and 0.6% of bloody and watery stool samples, respectively, from hospitalized diarrhea patients. Various virulence genes in the STEC isolates indicated that stx1 allele predominated. Plasmid-borne markers, namely, hlyA, katP, espP, and etpD, were also identified. Bead enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Vero cell assay were performed to detect and evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the Shiga toxins produced by the strains. STEC is not an important cause of diarrhea in India; however, its presence in domestic cattle and beef samples suggests that this enteropathogen may become a major public health problem in the future