Classification of colon biopsy samples by spatial analysis of a single spectral band from its hyperspectral cube

The histopathological analysis of colon biopsy samples is a very important part of screening for colorectal cancer. There is, however, significant inter-observer and even intra-observer variability in the results of such analysis due to its very subjective nature. Therefore, quantitative methods are required for the analysis of histopathological images to aid the histopatholgists in their diagnosis. In this paper, we exploit the shape and structure of the gland nuclei cells for the classification of colon biopsy samples using two-dimensional principal component analysis (2DPCA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). We conclude that the use of textural features extracted from non-overlapping blocks of the histopathological images results in a non-linear decision boundary which can be efficiently exploited using a SVM with appropriate choice of parameters for its Gaussian kernel. The SVM classifier outperforms all the remaining methods by a clear margin

Determinants of Urban Poverty: The Case of Medium Sized City in Pakistan

Urban poverty, which is distinct from rural poverty due to demographic, economic and political aspects remain hitherto unexplored, at the city level in Pakistan. We have examined the determinants of urban poverty in Sargodha, a medium-size city of Pakistan. The analysis is based on the survey of 330 households. Results suggest that employment in public sector, investment in human capital and access to public amenities reduce poverty while employment in informal sector, greater household size and female dominated households increase poverty. We recommend greater investment in human capital and public amenities as a strategy for poverty alleviation.Urban Poverty, Pakistan

Determinants of Urban Poverty : The Case of Medium Sized City in Pakistan

Urban poverty, which is distinct from rural poverty due to demographic, economic and political aspects remain hitherto unexplored, at the city level in Pakistan. We have examined the determinants of urban poverty in Sargodha, a medium-size city of Pakistan. The analysis is based on the survey of 330 households. Results suggest that employment in public sector, investment in human capital and access to public amenities reduce poverty while employment in informal sector, greater household size and female dominated households increase poverty. We recommend greater investment in human capital and public amenities as a strategy for poverty alleviation.Urban Poverty, Pakistan

The impact of human capital on urban poverty: The case of Sargodha city

The positive relationship between human capital and income/wages has been supported by empirical research. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) enormously emphasize on human capital for curbing poverty. The economic development in East Asian countries is also linked with investment in education for the development of human capital. This study is designed to investigate the relationship of different levels of education and experience upon urban poverty at medium sized city in Pakistan such as Sargodha. A survey-based analysis was carried out on a sample of 330 households. Poverty status of the individual is defined by using adjusted official poverty line. Results show that education and experience is negatively related with the poverty status of individuals and this fact sustains even in separate gender estimates as well. This implies education of poor is necessary in breaking the vicious circle of poverty. Combined effort by public, private, community participation and NGO’s with special focus on elementary (Primary and middle) education is suggested for reducing poverty by increasing the productivity of the poor through education.Human Capital, Urban Poverty, Sargodha, Pakistan

Determinants of Urban Poverty: The Case of Medium Sized City in Pakistan

The process of urbanisation has dual impact on the development process of an economy. Initially, it encourages the workers to switch from low productive sector i.e. agriculture to high productive sectors like services and manufacturing [Becker, et al. (1994)]. Subsequently, it generates formidable problems for residents by depriving them of access to essential basic needs [Egziabher (2000)]. It is also observed that the poor try to urbanise faster as compared to the whole population [Ravallion (2007)] and this urbanisation process leads toward the emergence of urban poverty. Urban poverty is distinct from the rural poverty with respect to its incidence, economic, demographic and political aspects. The urban poverty can be controlled by developing the clear understanding of its nature, magnitude and intensit

BAYESIAN ANALYSIS FOR THE PAIRED COMPARISON MODEL WITH ORDER EFFECTS (USING NON-INFORMATIVE PRIORS)

Sometimes it may be difficult for a panelist to rank or compare more than two objects or treatments at the same time. For this reason, paired comparison method is used. In this study, the Davidson and Beaver (1977) model for paired comparisons with order effects is analyzed through the Bayesian Approach. For this purpose, the posterior means and the posterior modes are compared using the noninformative priors

Exploring the Conceptual Understanding of Peace in School Students

This paper aims to explore the conceptual understanding of peace in elementary school students which they have learned through school curriculum at their respective schools. Conceptual understanding of peace of students indicates the clarity in the peace promoting objectives in the school education policies and practices. The study in fact meets the gaps in the procedure to promote peaceful thinking in the students. Participants have been included from the public sector elementary schools. For the cross verification of collected data from the students, school educators have also been included in the participants. The study justifies the future need of further addition and revision of theoretical and practical content on peace in the school curriculum. Convenient sampling technique was used in the selection of sampling. The collected data have been analyzed on the basis of grounded theory. The results of the study are significant to the school education policy makers with the understanding of concluded needs in the revision of content on peace in the school curriculum. The study concluded that students have conceptual understanding of peace. However, the participants recommended the addition of text-book on peace elementary school curriculum for the prominent understanding of nature, characteristics and practices of peace in the students

Gamma Radiolytic Degradation of 4-Chlorophenol Determination of Degraded Products with HPLC and GC-MS

Contamination by chlorophenols of surface water and groundwater is an emerging issue in environmental science and engineering. After their usage as pesticide, herbicide and disinfectant, these organic compounds subsequently enter the aquatic environment through a number of routes. Some of the chlorophenols are slightly biodegradable, while others are more persistent and mobile in the aquatic environment especially chlorophenols. Gamma radiolytic degradation is one of advance oxidation process that has been thought to be one of the promising treatments to deal with this problem. This radiolytic study was carried out in methanolic 4-CP (4-chlorophenol) samples. Among several factors effecting radiolytic degradation of 4-CP, dose and concentration are important that were evaluated under atmospheric conditions. A degradation yield (G –value) for 4-CP of 0.38 and 1.35 was achieved in 20 and 100mg/dm3 solution. It was observed that degradation yield decreases with increasing 4-CP concentration. Gamma radiolysis produce free radicals in solvent which further react with 4-CP molecules to generate different products. The identification of degradation products was proposed using HPLC and GC-MS

Is BIM Adoption Advantageous for Construction Industry of Pakistan?

Lack of Information technology applications on construction projects lead to complex flow of data during project life cycle. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has gained attention in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, envisage the use of virtual n-dimensional (n-D) models to identify potential conflicts in design, construction or operational of any facility. A questionnaire has been designed to investigate perceptions regarding BIM advantages. Around 102 valid responses received from diversified stakeholders. Results showed very low BIM adoption with low level of ‘Buzz’. BIM is a faster and more effective method for designing and construction management, it improves quality of the design and construction and reduces rework during construction; which came out as the top thee advantages according to the perception of AEC professionals of Pakistan.BIM has least impact on reduction of cost, time and human resources. This research is a bench mark study to understand adoption and advantageous of BIM in Pakistan Construction Industry

Review of Contemporary Energy Harvesting Techniques and Their Feasibility in Wireless Geophones

Energy harvesting converts ambient energy to electrical energy providing numerous opportunities to realize wireless sensors. Seismic exploration is a prime avenue to benefit from it as energy harvesting equipped geophones would relieve the burden of cables which account for the biggest chunk of exploration cost and equipment weight. Since numerous energies are abundantly available in seismic fields, these can be harvested to power up geophones. However, due to the random and intermittent nature of the harvested energy, it is important that geophones must be equipped to tap from several energy sources for a stable operation. It may involve some initial installation cost but in the long run, it is cost-effective and beneficial as the sources for energy harvesting are available naturally. Extensive research has been carried out in recent years to harvest energies from various sources. However, there has not been a thorough investigation of utilizing these developments in the seismic context. In this survey, a comprehensive literature review is provided on the research progress in energy harvesting methods suitable for direct adaptation in geophones. Specifically, the focus is on small form factor energy harvesting circuits and systems capable of harvesting energy from wind, sun, vibrations, temperature difference, and radio frequencies. Furthermore, case studies are presented to assess the suitability of the studied energy harvesting methods. Finally, a design of energy harvesting equipped geophone is also proposed