Modified Odd Weibull Family of Distributions: Properties and Applications

In this paper, a new family of continuous distributions, called the modified odd Weibull-G (MOW-G) family, is studied. The MOW-G family has the feature to use the Weibull distribution as main generator and a new modification of the odd transformation, opening new horizon in terms of statistical modelling. Its main theoretical and practical aspects are explored. In particular, for the mathematical properties, we investigate some results in distribution, quantile function, skewness, kurtosis, moments, moment generating function, order statistics and en-tropy. For the statistical aspect, the maximum likelihood estimation method is used to estimate the model parameters. The performance of this method is evaluated by a Monte Carlo simulation study. Applications to three practical data sets are given to demonstrate the usefulness of the MOW-G model

Strengthening health systems and peacebuilding through women's leadership: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Active and protracted conflict settings demonstrate the need to prioritise the peace through health agenda. This can be achieved by reorienting attention toward gender diverse leadership and more effective governance within health systems. This approach may enable women to have a greater voice in the decision-making of health and social interventions, thereby enabling the community led and context specific knowledge required to address the root causes of persistent inequalities and inequities in systems and societies. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study, which included semi-structured interviews with 25 key informants, two focus group discussions and one workshop with humanitarian workers in local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), United Nations (UN) agencies, health practitioners, and academics, from Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Latin America. Findings were then applied to the peacebuilding pyramid designed by John Paul Lederach which provides a practical framework for mediation and conflict resolution in several conflict-affected settings. The purpose of the framework was to propose an adapted conceptualisation of leadership to include women's leadership in the health system and be more applicable in protracted conflict settings. RESULTS: Five interrelated themes emerged. First, perceptions of terms such as gender equality, equity, mainstreaming, and leadership varied across participants and contexts. Second, armed conflict is both a barrier and an enabler for advancing women's leadership in health systems. Third, health systems themselves are critical in advancing the nexus between women's leadership, health systems and peacebuilding. Fourth, across all contexts we found strong evidence of an instrumental relationship between women's leadership in health systems in conflict-affected settings and peacebuilding. Lastly, the role of donors emerged as a critical obstacle to advance women's leadership. CONCLUSION: Continuing to empower women against social, cultural, and institutional barriers is crucial, as the emerging correlation between women's leadership, health systems, and peacebuilding is essential for long-term stability, the right to health, and health system responsiveness

First-trimester prediction of preterm prelabour rupture of membranes incorporating cervical length measurement

Objectives: To examine early pregnancy risk factors for preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM) and develop a predictive model. Study design: Retrospective analysis of a cohort of mixed-risk singleton pregnancies screened in the first and second trimesters in three Danish tertiary fetal medicine centres, including a cervical length measurement at 11–14 weeks, at 19–21 weeks and at 23–24 weeks of gestation. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify predictive maternal characteristics, biochemical and sonographic factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine predictors for the most accurate model. Results: Of 3477 screened women, 77 (2.2%) had PPROM. Maternal factors predictive of PPROM in univariable analysis were nulliparity (OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.2–3.3)), PAPP-A < 0.5 MoM (OR 2.6 (1.1–6.2)), previous preterm birth (OR 4.2 (1.9–8.9)), previous cervical conization (OR 3.6 (2.0–6.4)) and cervical length ≤ 25 mm on transvaginal imaging (first-trimester OR 15.9 (4.3–59.3)). These factors all remained statistically significant in a multivariable adjusted model with an AUC of 0.72 in the most discriminatory first-trimester model. The detection rate using this model would be approximately 30% at a false-positive rate of 10%. Potential predictors such as bleeding in early pregnancy and pre-existing diabetes mellitus affected very few cases and could not be formally assessed. Conclusions: Several maternal characteristics, placental biochemical and sonographic features are predictive of PPROM with moderate discrimination. Larger numbers are required to validate this algorithm and additional biomarkers, not currently used for first-trimester screening, may improve model performance

Waste management in USA through case studies: e-waste recycling and waste energy plant.

USA has improved waste management system than many other countries, namely India, China, Middle East countries and South Africa. In 2012, Americans generated about 251 million tons of trash. It recycled and composted almost 87 million tons, equivalent to a 34.5 % recycling rate. US recycled and composted nearly 0.69 kg out of the individual waste generation rate of 1.98 kg per person per day. Whereas, in 2012, 3.412 million tons of e-waste was generated in the U.S, nearly 30% is recycled and 70% is trashed. The paper presents the status of the WTE and WEEE recycling plants in the US and analyse their sustainability through two case studies at 20 tpd e-waste recycling plant at 48th Street Transfer Station and the 80 MW Covanta waste to energy plant in Philadelphia, USA based on the study visit in 30th ICSW 2015. The transportation of the MSW feedstock to wte plant is done by the railway wagon with a robust supply chain. The e-waste recycling plant dismantles the materials in semiautomatic conveyor & crusher, segregates and packs both manually and with electronic eye. Plastics, metal, glass and the equipment for reuse are segregated here. The plant sends this material to materials recycling plants. Both the plant has different business case. The study will be helpful for the researchers and the stakeholder in different countries

A narrative review of health research capacity strengthening in low and middle-income countries: lessons for conflict-affected areas

Abstract Conducting health research in conflict-affected areas and other complex environments is difficult, yet vital. However, the capacity to undertake such research is often limited and with little translation into practice, particularly in poorer countries. There is therefore a need to strengthen health research capacity in conflict-affected countries and regions. In this narrative review, we draw together evidence from low and middle-income countries to highlight challenges to research capacity strengthening in conflict, as well as examples of good practice. We find that authorship trends in health research indicate global imbalances in research capacity, with implications for the type and priorities of research produced, equity within epistemic communities and the development of sustainable research capacity in low and middle-income countries. Yet, there is little evidence on what constitutes effective health research capacity strengthening in conflict-affected areas. There is more evidence on health research capacity strengthening in general, from which several key enablers emerge: adequate and sustained financing; effective stewardship and equitable research partnerships; mentorship of researchers of all levels; and effective linkages of research to policy and practice. Strengthening health research capacity in conflict-affected areas needs to occur at multiple levels to ensure sustainability and equity. Capacity strengthening interventions need to take into consideration the dynamics of conflict, power dynamics within research collaborations, the potential impact of technology, and the wider political environment in which they take place

Fiber Bragg Grating Fiber Optic Sensors Measuring Strain & Temperature Changes at the CMS’s Central Beam Pipe

This work tests the reliability and efficacy of the Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) monitoring system installed around the Compact Muon Selonoid’s (CMS) beam pipe. The FBGs work on measuring Temperature and Strain around the peripherals of the CMS’s BP. The CMS is one of four detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) operated by CERN around the borders of France and Switzerland. A large particle accelerator that accelerates protons and heavy ions relativistically to high speeds close to the speed of light. Then collides two beams at 4 different detects laid out around the circular collider. ATLAS, LHCb, ALICE, and CMS. The CMS safety team works on systems inside the CMS BP to monitor temperature and strain changes induced in the beam pipe. In hindsight, the FBG sensors use Fiber Optic Sensor (FOS) technology with varying Bragg Gratings inside the glass core of the optical fiber. FBGs work by being exposed to UV light as the result of proton collisions. Then the light is thus reflected back at each grating. The reflected ray’s wavelength changes when being subjected to different levels of temperature and strain. To test the efficacy of the interrogation system, temperature calibration is done and linear and cubic fittings were generated to estimate the temperature through the imputed current. A MATLAB code has been constructed to output the outlined calibration graphs and the fittings

Réactions photochimiques et photoredox en réacteurs microfluidiques : applications aux cycloadditions, à la polymérisation contrôlée et la chimie radicalaire

Ce travail consiste à étudier différentes réactions photochimiques en dispositifs microfluidiques en utilisant la lumière UV/visible, par le biais de catalyseurs recyclables métalliques et non-métalliques, pour la synthèse organique aux applications pharmaceutiques et industrielles. En outre, l’utilisation des systèmes microfluidiques dans des chemins optiques miniaturisés de 500 µm résultant en une amélioration d’illumination. Les mesures d’actinométrie chimique confirment que ≈ 98% de la lumière émise atteint le mélange de réaction dans un réacteur fluidique Mikroglas® Dwell Device largement utilisé dans la littérature. Différentes réactions de cycloaddition [2 + 2] utilisées en synthèse totale ont été testées en utilisant un sensibilisateur sous UV. La réaction est quantitative après 2 h contre 47% après 10 h en batch. La polymérisation radicalaire contrôlée (ATRP) a été étudiée en utilisant le catalyseur photorédox éosine Y sous illumination à base de LED vertes. Six heures d'irradiations sont suffisantes pour fournir des polymères mono dispersés aux applications variables (plastiques, latex ...). Ces catalyseurs non-métalliques sont d'une importance capitale car ils sont plus respectueux de l'environnement. Former de nouvelles liaisons C-C et C-O est le cœur de la synthèse organique. L’utilisation de sources LEDs UV et d’un catalyseur photorédox nous a permis de former des produits d'addition (> 99%), à partir d’une part de sels de trifluoroborates et de TEMPO ou d’accepteurs de Michaël, d’autre part, après 2,5 min d'irradiation contre 8-24 h en batch.Ce travail montre clairement l’apport des systèmes microfluidiques pour l’accélération de réactions photochimiques.In order to mimic nature’s highly energy efficient photosynthesis reaction, this work focuses on photochemical reactions using UV/visible light, metal based recyclable catalysts and metal free catalysts in flow to synthesize organic material that have pharmaceutical and industrial applications. The utilized microfluidic systems have small path lengths (500 μm) resulting in improved illumination. Using chemical actinometry, it was shown that ≈ 98% of the light supplied reached the reaction mixture inside the widely used Mikroglas® Dwell device. [2+2] cycloaddition, used in total synthesis, was tested in flow using a sensitizer under UV. The optimized reaction was quantitative after 2 h vs. 47% after 10 h in literature’s batch system. Metal free ATRP was assessed using the commercial Eosin Y in flow with green LEDs. Only 6 h of irradiation were enough to give narrow dispersed polymers that have wide applications (plastics, latex…). Metal free catalysts are of critical importance as they are more ecofriendly. Forming new C-C and C-O bonds is the heart of organic synthesis. Using UV LEDs and a photoredox catalyst, adducts of trifluoroborate salts with TEMPO and with Michaël acceptors were obtained (>99%) after only 2.5 min of irradiation in flow compared to 8-24 h in batch. Our results highlight the impact of miniaturization on accelerating photochemical reactions. Less time and energy usage, improved yields and strictly linear kinetic graphs are main features of flow technology. In addition, miniaturization requires less safety precautions rendering it favorable for large scale industry. This work supports considering the microfluidic technology for greener industrial systems