Socioeconomic Inequalities in Child Malnutrition in Bangladesh: Do They Differ by Region?

Socioeconomic inequality in child malnutrition is well-evident in Bangladesh. However, little is known about whether this inequality differs by regional contexts. We used pooled data from the 2011 and 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to examine regional differences in socioeconomic inequalities in stunting and underweight among children under five. The analysis included 14,602 children aged 0-59 months. We used logistic regression models and the Concentration index to assess and quantify wealth- and education-related inequalities in child malnutrition. We found stunting and underweight to be more concentrated among children from poorer households and born to less-educated mothers. Although the poverty level was low in the eastern regions, socioeconomic inequalities were greater in these regions compared to the western regions. The extent of socioeconomic inequality was the highest in Sylhet and Chittagong for stunting and underweight, respectively, while it was the lowest in Khulna. Regression results demonstrated the protective effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on child malnutrition. The regional differences in the effects of SES tend to diverge at the lower levels of SES, while they converge or attenuate at the highest levels. Our findings have policy implications for developing programs and interventions targeted to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in child malnutrition in subnational regions of Bangladesh

Implementasi Metode AHP untuk Seleksi Penerimaan Dosen di STIMIK Sepuluh Nopember Jayapura

Dosen merupakan pendidik profesional dengan tugas utama yaitu  mentransformasikan, mengembangkan ilmu pengetahuan serta menjalankan Tri Dharma perguruan tinggi. Untuk mendapatkan calon dosen yang berkualitas diperlukan seleksi penerimaan dosen. Pada proses pemilihan calon dosen ada beberapa kriteria yang dilengkapi untuk melakukan penilaian calon dosen dan apabila kriteria tersebut tidak terpenuhi maka calon dosen dinyatakan tidak diterima. Proses seleksi penerimaan calon dosen di STIMIK Sepuluh Nopember Jayapura dilakukan secara konvensional saja selama ini yaitu dengan mengumpulkan berkas-berkas persyaratan setelah itu akan diseleksi manual oleh bagian SDM sehingga tidak efektif dan menimbulkan ketidak akuratan dalam pengambilan keputusan seleksi penerimaan calon dosen. Dengan penggunaan metode AHP dapat memberikan solusi terhadap kriteria yang menjadi prioritas karena adanya perbandingan terhadap masing-masing kriteria. Sistem ini berbasis web dengan antarmuka yang sederhana hingga mudah dipahami pengguna. Calon dosen yang diterima berjumlah 3 alternatif dari 6 alternatif yang mengikuti seleksi yaitu Aderiani W Rank 1, Lidiya W Rank 2, dan Ainul Y Rank 3. Hasil dari implementasi metode AHP pada seleksi penerimaan calon dosen, ditemukan prioritasi kriteria yang teritinggi yaitu kriteria Micro Teaching sebesar 30,9% dan yang terendah adalah Wawancara dengan persentase sebesar 8,04%. Sehingga memberikan solusi kepada bagian SDM untuk memprioritaskan kriteria Micro Teaching dalam penerimaan calon dosen

Transfer-Expanded Graphs for On-Demand Multimodal Transit Systems

This paper considers a generalization of the network design problem for On-Demand Multimodal Transit Systems (ODMTS). An ODMTS consists of a selection of hubs served by high frequency buses, and passengers are connected to the hubs by on-demand shuttles which serve the first and last miles. This paper generalizes prior work by including three additional elements that are critical in practice. First, different frequencies are allowed throughout the network. Second, additional modes of transit (e.g., rail) are included. Third, a limit on the number of transfers per passenger is introduced. Adding a constraint to limit the number of transfers has a significant negative impact on existing Benders decomposition approaches as it introduces non-convexity in the subproblem. Instead, this paper enforces the limit through transfer-expanded graphs, i.e., layered graphs in which each layer corresponds to a certain number of transfers. A real-world case study is presented for which the generalized ODMTS design problem is solved for the city of Atlanta. The results demonstrate that exploiting the problem structure through transfer-expanded graphs results in significant computational improvements.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Topological crystalline insulator states in Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Se

Topological insulators are a novel class of quantum materials in which time-reversal symmetry, relativistic (spin-orbit) effects and an inverted band structure result in electronic metallic states on the surfaces of bulk crystals. These helical states exhibit a Dirac-like energy dispersion across the bulk bandgap, and they are topologically protected. Recent theoretical proposals have suggested the existence of topological crystalline insulators, a novel class of topological insulators in which crystalline symmetry replaces the role of time-reversal symmetry in topological protection [1,2]. In this study, we show that the narrow-gap semiconductor Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Se is a topological crystalline insulator for x=0.23. Temperature-dependent magnetotransport measurements and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrate that the material undergoes a temperature-driven topological phase transition from a trivial insulator to a topological crystalline insulator. These experimental findings add a new class to the family of topological insulators. We expect these results to be the beginning of both a considerable body of additional research on topological crystalline insulators as well as detailed studies of topological phase transitions.Comment: v2: published revised manuscript (6 pages, 3 figures) and supplementary information (5 pages, 8 figures

Phase change materials (PCM) for solar energy usages and storage: An overview

© 2019 by the authors. Solar energy is a renewable energy source that can be utilized for different applications in today's world. The effective use of solar energy requires a storage medium that can facilitate the storage of excess energy, and then supply this stored energy when it is needed. An effective method of storing thermal energy from solar is through the use of phase change materials (PCMs). PCMs are isothermal in nature, and thus offer higher density energy storage and the ability to operate in a variable range of temperature conditions. This article provides a comprehensive review of the application of PCMs for solar energy use and storage such as for solar power generation, water heating systems, solar cookers, and solar dryers. This paper will benefit the researcher in conducting further research on solar power generation, water heating system, solar cookers, and solar dryers using PCMs for commercial development

State-of-the-Art of Establishing Test Procedures for Real Driving Gaseous Emissions from Light- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Air pollution caused by vehicle emissions has raised serious public health concerns. Vehicle emissions generally depend on many factors, such as the nature of the vehicle, driving style, traffic conditions, emission control technologies, and operational conditions. Concerns about the certification cycles used by various regulatory authorities are growing due to the difference in emission during certification procedure and Real Driving Emissions (RDE). Under laboratory conditions, certification tests are performed in a ‘chassis dynamometer’ for light-duty vehicles (LDVs) and an ‘engine dynamometer’ for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). As a result, the test drive cycles used to measure the automotive emissions do not correctly reflect the vehicle’s real-world driving pattern. Consequently, the RDE regulation is being phased in to reduce the disparity between type approval and vehicle’s real-world emissions. According to this review, different variables such as traffic signals, driving dynamics, congestions, altitude, ambient temperature, and so on have a major influence on actual driving pollution. Aside from that, cold-start and hot-start have been shown to have an effect on on-road pollution. Contrary to common opinion, new technology such as start-stop systems boost automotive emissions rather than decreasing them owing to unfavourable conditions from the point of view of exhaust emissions and exhaust after-treatment systems. In addition, the driving dynamics are not represented in the current laboratory-based test procedures. As a result, it is critical to establish an on-road testing protocol to obtain a true representation of vehicular emissions and reduce emissions to a standard level. The incorporation of RDE clauses into certification procedures would have a positive impact on global air quality