Dynamic model for price of wheat in Bangladesh

Wheat is the second staple food of Bangladesh. In this paper we constructed a dynamic model for wheat price. Basically we constructed a single equation autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model of the price (quarterly wholesale wheat price). Standard ARIMA analysis rests on the simplifying assumption that the time series is stationary. So, at first stationary of the series is checked. An ARIMA (1,1,0) (2,1,1)4 model is constructed based on the autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions. Finally, forecasts are made based on the model developed

Predicting Performance Measurement of Residential Buildings Using an Artificial Neural Network

Application Earned Value Management (EVM) as a construction project control technique is not very common in the Republic of Iraq, in spite of the benefit from EVA to the schedule control and cost control of construction projects. One of the goals of the present study is the employment machine intelligence techniques in the estimation of earned value; also this study contributes to extend the cognitive content of study fields associated with the earned value, and the results of this study are considered a robust incentive to try and do complementary studies, or to simulate a similar study in alternative new technologies. This paper is aiming at introducing a novel and alternative method of applying Artificial Intelligence Techniques (AIT) for earned value management of the construction projects through using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to build mathematical models to be used to estimate the Schedule Performance Index (SPI), Cost Performance Index (CPI) and to Complete Cost Performance Indicator (TCPI) in Iraqi residential buildings before and at execution stage through using web-based software to perform the calculations in the estimation quickly, accurately and without effort. ANN technique was utilized to produce new prediction models by applying the Backpropagation algorithm through Neuframe software. Finally, the results showed that the ANN technique shows excellent results of estimation when it is compared with MLR techniques. The results were interpreted in terms of Average Accuracy (AA%) equal to 83.09, 90.83, and 82.88%, also, correlation coefficient (R) equal to 90.95, 93.00, and 92.30% for SPI, CPI and TCPI respectively. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091666 Full Text: PD

Corrosion Inhibition of Copper in Sea Water Using Derivatives of Thiosemicarbazides

Three corrosion inhibitors namely: 4-allyl-3-thiosemicarbazide C4H9N3 S, 4-(1-methyl)-3-thiosemicarbazide,4-tolyl-3-thiosemicarbazide were tested as corrosion inhibitors for copper in sea water environmnt.Copper samples were tested using potentiodynamic polarization technique in the absence and in the presence of corrosion inhibitors.   High inhibition efficiencies (≥95%) were shown by the tested inhibitors.  The best performance was shown by 4-tolyl-3-TSC

Učinak temperature i dodatka indija na mehanička svojstva legure Al–0.21wt%Au

Tensile characteristics of both Al–0.21wt%Au and Al–0.21wt%Au–0.21wt%In alloys were investigated in the temperature range 493 K to 553 K. The coefficient of work hardening, χ = ∂σ2/∂², yield stress, σy, and fracture stress, σf , decreased with increasing deformation temperature (T) and exhibited abrupt increase at about 523 K. On the other hand, the fracture strain, ²f , and dislocation slip distance, L, increased with increasing deformation temperature and exhibited minima at about 523 K. The activation energy was determined in the range around 523 K to clarify the observed change in the behaviour of the hardening characteristics of the investigated samples.Istraživali smo istezna svojstva legura Al–0.21wt%Au i Al–0.21wt%Au–0.21wt%In na temperaturama 493 K do 553 K. Koeficijent mehaničkog očvršćivanja, χ = ∂σ2/∂², granica elastičnosti, σy, i granica loma, σf , smanjuju se pri povišenim temperaturama istezanja (T) te pokazuju nagao porast na oko 523 K. Nasuprot tome, lomno istezanje, ²f , i prosječna duljina klizanja dislokacija, L, povećali su se s povišenom temperaturom istezanja, a pokazuju i minimum na oko 523 K. Radi objašnjenja opaženih promjena u procesu očvršćivanja ispitivanih uzoraka odredili smo aktivacijsku energiju na temperaturama oko 523 K

ARE OPTIMISTS HAPPIER AND MORE SATISFIED WITH THEIR LIFE?هل المتفائلون أكثر سعادة ورضا عن حياتهم؟

استهدفت هذه الدراسة استكشاف العلاقة بين التفاؤل وكل من السعادة، والرضا عن الحياة، فضلاً عن فحص العلاقة بين التشاؤم والسعادة، والرضا عن الحياة. أجابت عينة متاحة (ن = 225) من طلبة جامعة الإسكندرية وطالباتها عن: القائمة العربية للتفاؤل والتشاؤم، ومقياسي التقدير الذاتي لكل من السعادة، والرضا عن الحياة، ولم تكشف النتائج عن فروق دالة إحصائيًا بين الجنسين في كل متغيرات الدراسة، في حين استخرجت ارتباطات دالة إحصائيًا بين التفاؤل وكل من السعادة، والرضا عن الحياة (موجبة)، وبين التشاؤم وكل من السعادة، والرضا عن الحياة (سالبة). وكشف تحليل المكونات الأساسية عن عامل ثنائي القطب لدى الجنسين، سمي: الحياة الطيبة في مقابل التشاؤم . وخلصت هذه الدراسة، إلى أن التفاؤل أحد المتغيرات المهة في الحياة النفسية الطيبة، وهو الموضوع الأساسي في علم النفس الإيجابي

Refractive Errors among Primary Schools Children in Assiut District, Egypt

BACKGROUND: Uncorrected refractive errors are a public health problem especially among school children. It has a direct effect on learning and academic performance. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This study aims to assess the refractive errors among a representative sample of school children under ten in Assiut City, Egypt and to manage the discovered cases early. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Descriptive cross sectional study design was used. The students of primary schools in the first, second and third grades under ten years old were the focus of the study and they were selected by stratified random sampling technique.  The calculated sample size was 196. Two tools were used in the study; the first one was a self administered questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data as child age, birth order, father's and mother's education and occupation, family history of wearing glasses, watching TV or using computer etc. The second tool was the eye examination by a Portable Auto-refractometer which has the advantages of accuracy, easy examination, being movable everywhere and provide printable eye status report. An eye examination record was used to register data about student's name, age. Data collection started from the first of March 2012 until the end of April 2012. Data were analyzed using SPSS soft program version 16. RESULTS: 241 students (107 males and 134 females) participated in the study but 142 only agreed to perform eye examination with 59% response rate. Ninety-five children (66.9%) had a significant refractive error of ±0.50 or worse in one or both eyes. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Significant refractive errors occur among primary school children aged 6 to 10 years. Therefore, there is a need to have regular and simple vision testing in primary school children to screen for refractive errors. This will enable to start corrective measures at the early stage and decrease visual disability. Key words: refractive errors- children- primary schools- Egypt

Clinical significance of anti-Scl-70 antibody estimation in pediatric patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Some patients with scleroderma have overlap features with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Anti-Scl-70 antibody was reported in as many as 35% of patients with scleroderma and signifies an increased risk for the development of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. This antibody was detected in 25% of adult patients with SLE. Objective: We hypothesized that a particular subset of lupus patients might be at an increased risk of certain complications if anti-Scl-70 antibody was elevated in their sera. Methods: Serum anti-Scl-70 antibody levels were assayed by ELISA from 34 pediatric patients with SLE and from 24 healthy controls. Patients were also subjected to clinical evaluation for system involvement and for disease activity by systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI). The ESR, serum anti DNA antibody, serum complement 3, creatinine clearance and 24 hours urinary protein excretion were assessed and renal biopsy for histopathology was performed in selected cases. Results: Anti Scl-70 antibody was elevated (> 25 U/ml) in 6 SLE patients (18%), borderline (15-25 U/ml) in 17 patients (50%) and normal (< 15 U/ml) in 11 of them (32%). The patient group had significant elevation of serum anti-Scl-70 antibody levels (mean [SD] = 32.5 [8.8] U/ml) as compared to the controls, (mean [SD]= 9.3 [4.1] U/ml; p < 0.001). Patients with clinical lupus nephritis had significant higher levels of this autoantibody as compared to those without clinically evident renal involvement. Also, pulmonary hypertension was found significantly related to the high serum levels of anti-Scl-70 antibody. A significant positive correlation could link anti-Scl-70 levels to the ESR values and SLEDAI scores. Anti-Scl-70 levels were neither affected by the presence of neuropsychiatric involvement nor by intake of cytotoxic drugs. Conclusion: Anti-Scl-70 antibody is present in a significant subset of patients with SLE. For this subset, it offers a good correlate of disease activity and suggests an increased risk for pulmonary hypertension and renal involvement.Keywords: SLE; anti-Scl-70; pulmonary hypertension; lupus nephritis; SLEDAIEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2006; 4(2): 53-60

The psychometric parameters of the Spanish Form of the Arabic Obsessive Compulsive Scale (S-AOCS)

The aim of this study was to describe the psychometric properties of the Spanish version ofthe Arabic Obsessive Compulsive Scale (S-AOCS). The original scale was first translated into Spanish by language experts using the back translation procedure, and then administered to a total of 312 Spanish university students from Barcelona. Four-week test-retest was 0.88 indicating its high temporal stability. Cronbach's alpha value of the S-AOCS reached 0.82 indicating its good internal consistency. The S-AOCS correlated 0.72 with the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory and 0.56 with the Kuwait University. Anxiety Scale indicating good criterion-related validity. Finally, a principal axis analysis with Oblimin rotation was carried out. Five factors were extracted, accounting for 37.88% of the total variance. These factors were labeled: Obsessive thoughts and rumination (16.61%), Meticulousness and perfectionism (6.48%), Indecision and doubts (5.59%), Ritualism (4.74%) and Checking (4.45%). The results indicate that the S-AOCS administered to this Spanish sample yields good internal consistency, temporal stability, criterion-related validity and a five-factor structure reflecting important features of obsessive compulsive disorder. In general, the S-AOCS could be recommended in research on obsession-compulsion among Spanish college students