Multi-Model Approach for Assessing the Influence of Calibration Criteria on the Water Balance in Ouémé Basin

Hydrological models are very useful tools for evaluating water resources, and the hydroclimatic hazards associated with the water cycle. However, their calibration and validation require the use of performance criteria which choice is not straightforward. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of the performance criteria on water balance components and water extremes using two global rainfall-runoff models (HBV and GR4J) over the Ouémé watershed at the Bonou and Savè outlets. Three (3) Efficacy criteria (Nash, coefficient of determination, and KGE) were considered for calibration and validation. The results show that the Nash criterion provides a good assessment of the simulation of the different parts of the hydrograph. KGE is better for simulating peak flows and water balance elements than other efficiency criteria. This study could serve as a basis for the choice of performance criteria in hydrological modelling.

Unequal Distribution of Innovation Efforts for Neglected Tropical Diseases: The Role of Funding Evaluation Criteria

Background: International research and innovation efforts for neglected tropical diseases have increased in recent decades due to disparities in overall health research funding in relation to global burden of disease. However, within the field of neglected tropical diseases some seem far more neglected than others. In this research the aim is to investigate the distribution of resources and efforts, as well as the mechanisms that underpin funding allocation for neglected tropical diseases. Methodology: A systematic literature review was conducted to establish a comprehensive overview of known indicators for innovation efforts related to a wide range of neglected tropical diseases. Articles were selected based on a subjective evaluation of their relevance, the presence of original data, and the breadth of their scope. This was followed by thirteen in-depth open-ended interviews with representatives of private, public and philanthropic funding organizations, concerning evaluation criteria for funding research proposals. Results: The findings reveal a large difference in the extent to which the individual diseases are neglected with notable differences between absolute and relative efforts. Criteria used in the evaluation of research proposals relate to potential impact, the probability of success and strategic fit. Private organizations prioritize strategic fit and economic impact;philanthropic organizations prioritize short-term societal impact;and public generally prioritize the probability of success by accounting for follow-up funding and involvement of industry. Funding decisions of different types of organizations are highly interrelated. Conclusions: This study shows that the evaluation of funding proposals introduces and retains unequal funding distribution, reinforcing the relative neglect of diseases. Societal impact is the primary rationale for funding but application of it as a funding criterion is associated with significant challenges. Furthermore, current application of evaluation criteria leads to a primary focus on short-term impact. Through current practice, the relatively most neglected diseases will remain so, and a long-term strategy is needed to resolve this.

Local Criteria Used by Farmers to Evaluate the Agronomic Performance and the Fertilizing Capacity of Cowpea Varieties: Diversity, Variability and Proximal Relation with Agronomic Measurements in Contrasted Sahelian Locations

When contributing to participatory research, farmers usually appreciate the performance of cowpea varieties using qualitative scores. The score they attribute to each variety are based on local knowledge. The specific criteria they individually use to attribute a score are not well described. The objectives of this work were to: 1) identify and describe exhaustively the local criteria used by farmers to measure the agronomic performance of cowpea;2) assess the variability and statistical structure of these farmer criteria across local contexts;3) and analyze the association between these farmer criteria and the classical agronomic measurement. To achieve these objectives, an augmented block design was implemented across fifteen locations in the regions of Maradi, Dosso and Tillabéri, representing a diversity of local contexts. From a set of 36 cowpea varieties, fifteen varieties were sown per location, including five varieties (controls) common to all locations. In each location, two replicates were sown in randomized Fisher’s blocks. After agronomic measurement and participatory evaluation (scoring of varieties by farmers), a group survey (focus group) was conducted in each location to identify the criteria considered by farmers to found their discretional scoring of varieties during the participatory evaluation. The analysis of the data identified, across locations, thirteen criteria defined by farmers to characterize the agronomic performance of cowpea. Some of these criteria were different according to location. Farmers ranked the three varieties with the best performance for each agronomical trait (Top 3 varieties). A comparison of the farmer ranking with the ranking based on agronomic measurements revealed similarity and complementary between both methods. This study highlighted the importance of considering both local and scientific knowledge in local varietal evaluations.

Evaluation of AVNRT & AVRT by Different Criteria: Old & New

The two most frequent causes of paroxysmal SVT are atrioventricular tachycardia (AVRT) and atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT). The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic efficacy of traditional and newly proposed ECG criteria in the identification of Avnrt and Avrt. Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to evaluate Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia (AVNRT) and Atrioventricular Re-entrant Tachycardia (AVRT) using both traditional and novel criteria. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at the Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Cardiology, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Dhaka, from February 2019 to January 2020. A total of 62 patients with Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) undergoing electrophysiology study (EPS) were included. Standard ECG criteria were applied for the differential diagnosis, and electrophysiological diagnoses were made using established criteria. Statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics and appropriate tests, was performed using SPSS 23.0. Result: In our study of 62 patients with Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), we found that 66.1% had AVNRT and 33.9% had AVRT. The mean age in AVNRT was higher than AVRT (41.3 ± 9.7 vs. 38.5 ± 14.3, p = 0.36) with statistically no significant difference, with similar gender distribution between AVNRT and AVRT groups. Classical AVNRT criteria were present in 30.6% of patients, and 45.2% showed a Pseudo R' wave in aVR. Additionally, 30.6% had an RP interval ≥100ms, more prevalent in AVRT patients (66.7%). Conclusion: Integrating traditional and novel criteria, including lead aVR analysis, enhances the electrocardiographic diagnosis of AVNRT and AVRT, offering a pathway to refined patient care.

On The Cauchy Problem for A 1D Euler-Alignment System in Besov Spaces

In this paper, we investigate a 1D pressureless Euler-alignment system with a non-local alignment term, describing a kind of self-organizing problem for flocking. As a result, by the transport equation theory and Lagrange coordinate transformation, the local well-posedness of the solutions for the 1D pressureless Euler-alignment in Besov spaces with 1≤p∞ is established. Next, the ill-posedness of the solutions for this model in Besov spaces with 1≤p and is also deduced. Finally, the precise blow-up criteria of the solutions for this system is presented in Besov spaces with 1≤p .

Research on the Index System of Old Neighborhood Renovation Based on Green Building Evaluation Standard

With the advancement of the transformation,the contradiction between the residents’demand for a better living environment and the convenience of living in the settlements comes to the fore.Effective identification,organic integration,timely adoption,and correct decision-making for the transformation of old neighborhoods are pressing issues in the transformation of old neighborhoods.Therefore,this paper takes the green building evaluation standards of various countries as the research basis and support for the construction of the transformation strategy of old neighborhoods.Through the collection and comparative analysis of the indicators of green building evaluation standards,the index system of transformation is formed,and it also provides a certain foundation for the subsequent related research.

GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Techniques to Derive Flood Risks Management on Rice Productivity in Gishari Marshland

Floods are phenomenon with significant socio-economic implications mainly for human loss, agriculture, livestock, soil loss and land degradation, for which many researchers try to identify the most appropriate methodologies by analyzing their temporal and spatial development. This study therefore attempts to employ the GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis and analytical hierarchy process techniques to derive the flood risks management on rice productivity in the Gishari Agricultural Marshland in Rwamagana district, Rwanda. Here, six influencing potential factors to flooding, including river slope, soil texture, Land Use Land Cover through Land Sat 8, rainfall, river distance and Digital Elevation Model are considered for the delineation of flood risk zones. Data acquisition like Landsat 8 images, DEM, land use land cover, slope, and soil class in the study area were considered. Results showed that if the DEM is outdated or inaccurate due to changes in the terrain, such as construction, excavation, or erosion, the predicted flood patterns might not reflect the actual water flow. This could result unexpected flood extents and depths, potentially inundating rice fields that were not previously at risk and this, expectedly explained that the increase 1 m in elevation would reduce the rice productivity by 0.17% due to unplanned flood risks in marshland. It was found that the change in rainfall distribution in Gishari agricultural marshland would also decrease the rice productivity by 0.0018%, which is a sign that rainfall is a major factor of flooding in rice scheme. Rainfall distribution plays a crucial role in flooding analysis and can directly impact rice productivity. Oppositely, another causal factor was Land Use Land Cover (LULC), where the Multivariate Logistic Regression Model Analysis findings showed that the increase of one unit in Land Use Land Cover would increase rice productivity by 0.17% of the total rice productivity from the Gishari Agricultural Marshland. Based on findings from these techniques, the Gishari Agricultural Marshlands having steeped land with grassland is classified into five classes of flooding namely very low, low, moderate, high, and very high which include 430%, 361%, 292%, 223%, and 154%. Government of Rwanda and other implementing agencies and major key actors have to contribute on soil and water conservation strategies to reduce the runoff and soil erosion as major contributors of flooding.

Evaluating the Association between Human Papillomavirus and Vulvar Cancer:A Comprehensive Analysis Using Bradford Hill Criteria

Background:The role of human papillomavirus(HPV)in the development of vulvar cancer(VC)has been widely studied,but findings have been inconsistent.Despite numerous meta-analyses exploring the potential link between HPV and VC,the association remains controversial due to inherent limitations in meta-analytic methods.Objectives:To address this controversy,the study aims to investigate the potential link between HPV and VC using the Bradford Hill criteria,which offer a more comprehensive framework for establishing causation.Methodology:The study began by extracting all relevant studies on the association between HPV and VC from the PubMed database.The potential links were then assessed by examining the data using the major postulates of the Bradford Hill criteria.To ensure the reliability of the findings,the methodologies of the identified studies were critically evaluated to account for possible false-negative and false-positive results.Results:The assessment of previous studies against the Bradford Hill criteria revealed that the major postulates were not fulfilled.Conclusion:Based on the findings,it can concluded that there is no causal association between HPV and VC.

System Analysis of Disaster Prevention Design Criteria for Coastal and Estuarine Cities

In China, estuarine and coastal cities are mostly regional economic development centers. The disasters by combined effect of upper reach flood, storm surge and typhoon waves are primary obstacles to the economic development of such cities. Thus the risk analysis and system analysis of flood-storm surge-wave disaster, economic loss and flood-storm surge control measures play a very important role in the sustainable development of coastal cities. There are three types of coastal cities for consideration. The first type of city is like Tianjin. The most significant damage is from the upper reach flood. The effect of storm surge is negligible, because in the estuary of the Haihe River, tidal locks are built. The Grey Markov Model (GMM) is used to forecast the flood peak level GMM combines the Grey system and the Markov theory into a high-precision model The predicted flood peak levels are close to the measured data. A synthetic model is established for economic assessment, risk analysis and flood-control benefit estimation As a new contribution, a stochastic simulation technique is used to compute risk probability. At the same time, consideration is given to the effect of correlation between variables on risk probability. The second type of city is like Shanghai, where sometimes the combined effect of river flood peak and set storm surge is the most severe disaster. The water level of a 1000 yr. return period of the Huangpu river is used as the design criterion. The simulated combined water level of flood peak, storm surge and maximum astronomical tidal level of a 400 yr. return period is close to the conventional design water level of a return period of 1000 years. The third type of city is Like Qingdao, where the combined effect of the maximum astronomical tide, storm surge and waves bring about the most significant damage. With the stochastic simulation technique, different combinations of storm surge and waves at the 1% and 2% joint probability level are simulated for disaster prevention.

Delay-dependent criteria for the robust stability of systems with time-varying delay

The problem of delay-dependent robust stability for systems with time-varying delay has been considered. By using the S-procedure and the Park's inequality in the recent issue, a delay-dependent robust stability criterion which is less conservative than the previous results has been derived for time-delay systems with time-varying structured uncertainties. The same idea has also been easily extended to the systems with nonlinear perturbations. Numerical examples illustrated the effectiveness and the improvement of the proposed approach. Keywords Delay-dependent criteria - Robust stability - Time-varying structured uncertainties - Nonlinear perturbations - Linear matrix inequality This work was supported by the Doctor Subject Foundation of China (No. 2000053303).

Stability criteria for linear systems with multiple time-varying delays

New delay-independent and delay-dependent stability criteria for linear systems with multiple time-varying delays are established by using the time-domain method. The results are derived based on a new-type stability theorem for general retarded dynamical systems and new analysis techniques developed in the author's previous work. Unlike some results in the literature, all of the established results do not depend on the derivative of time-varying delays. Therefore, they are suitable for the case with very fast time-varying delays. In addition, some remarks are also given to explain the obtained results and to point out the limitations of the previous results in the literature. Keywords Stability - Delay-independent criteria - Delay-dependent criteria - Linear time-delay systems - Multiple time-varying delays This work was supported by NSFC Key-Project (No. 60334010) and Guangdong Province Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31406).

Exponential-Alpha Safety Criteria of a Class of Dynamic Systems With Barrier Functions

A classic kind of researches about the operational safety criterion for dynamic systems with barrier function can be roughly summarized as functional relationship,denoted by⊕,between the barrier function and its first derivative for time t,where⊕can be“=”,“<”,or“>”,etc.This article draws on the form of the stable condition expression for finite time stability to formulate a novel kind of relaxed safety judgement criteria called exponential-alpha safety criteria.Moreover,we initially explore to use the control barrier function under exponential-alpha safety criteria to achieve the control for the dynamic system operational safety.In addition,derived from the actual process systems,we propose multi-hypersphere methods which are used to construct barrier functions and improved them for three types of special spatial relationships between the safe state set and the unsafe state set,where both of them can be spatially divided into multiple subsets.And the effectiveness of the proposed safety criteria are demonstrated by simulation examples.

Improved delay-dependent stability criteria for systems with interval delay

This paper deals with the problem of stability for systems with delay varying in an interval.A new Lyapunov functional,which makes use of the information of both the lower and upper bounds of the interval time-varying delay,is proposed to derive some new stability criteria.Furthermore,the relationship of the time-varying delay and its lower bound and upper bound is taken into account.As a result,some less conservative delay-dependent stability criteria are obtained without ignoring any useful information in the derivative of Lyapunov functional,which are established in the forms of linear matrix inequalities.Numerical examples are provided to show that the obtained results are better than existing ones.

Delay-dependent exponential stability criteria for stochastic systems with polytopic-type uncertainties

This paper considers the problem of delay-dependent exponential stability in mean square for stochastic systems with polytopic-type uncertainties and time-varying delay. Applying the descriptor model transformation and introducing free weighting matrices, a new type of Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional is constructed based on linear matrix inequalities （LMIs）, and some new delay-dependent criteria are obtained. These criteria include the delay-independent/rate- dependent and delay-dependent/rate-independent exponential stability criteria. These new criteria are less conservative than existing ones. Numerical examples demonstrate that these new criteria are effective and are an improvement over existing ones.

Traditional Selection Criteria of Ogaden Cattle in Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Production Systems and Its Implication to Resilience of the Breed in the Face of Climate Change in the Future

Selecting for adapted livestock breeds that will produce at optimum in the anticipated climate change scenario is one way of sustaining the production system. Africa has accumulated indigenous knowledge to coping up with climate variability in the past. It is common practice to shift to livestock agriculture as climate becomes less predicted in Africa. Cattle contribute more than 80% of meat and milk in Ethiopia. The aim of this paper was to identify traditional selection criteria of Ogaden cattle breed in pastoral and agro pastoral production systems and suggest possible intervention strategies. Questionnaire survey was conducted in Wabeshebele Zone of Ethiopia, in three districts based on cattle population and accessibility on 126 households. The results of the study revealed that farmers preferred to own diversified livestock species to cope up with unpredicted climate. Milk production and body conformation were ranked first and second criteria in selecting female which were followed by adaptive characteristics such as coat color, fertility and longevity, respectively, while in male, adaptive characters such as hump size, body conformation, coat color and fertility were given priority over milk production. Selection criteria of cattle practiced in the society strongly favored adaptation and ability to perform in feed constraint environment in addition to meat, milk and fertility. However, the simplest reproductive biotechnology, AI, was rarely practiced in the study area. It was recommended that indigenous knowledge of the society on selection criteria of the cattle breed need to be integrated with utilization of assisted reproductive biotechnologies and on farm research innovations on the breed so far acquired in any improvement program of the breed in the future.

NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT CRITERIA FOR ABSOLUTE STABILITY OF THE DIRECT CONTROL SYSTEM

Some necessary and sufficient conditions for absolute stability of several classes of direct control system were given, and two simplified forms of the control systems obtained twice were discussed. The results improve those of previous works.

Application of extended criteria donor grafts in liver transplantation for acute-on-chronic liver failure:A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND There is no consensus on the usage of extended criteria donor(ECD)grafts in liver transplantation(LT)for acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF)patients.AIM To summarize the experience of using ECD livers in ACLF-LT.METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted,enrolling patients who underwent LT at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from January 2015 to November 2021.The patients were divided into ECD and non-ECD groups for analysis.RESULTS A total of 145 recipients were enrolled in this study,of which ECD and non-ECD recipients accounted for 53.8%and 46.2%,respectively.Donation after cardiac death(DCD)recipients accounted for the minority compared with donation after brain death(DBD)recipients(16.6%vs 83.4%).Neither overall survival nor graft survival significantly differed between ECD and non-ECD and DCD and DBD recipients.ECD grafts were associated with a significantly higher incidence of early allograft dysfunction(EAD)than non-ECD grafts(67.9%vs 41.8%,P=0.002).Postoperative outcomes between DCD and DBD recipients were comparable(P>0.05).ECD graft(P=0.009),anhepatic phase(P=0.034)and recipient gamma glutamyltransferase(P=0.016)were independent risk factors for EAD.Recipient preoperative number of extrahepatic organ failures>2(P=0.015)and intraoperative blood loss(P=0.000)were independent predictors of poor post-LT survival.CONCLUSION Although related to a higher risk of EAD,ECD grafts can be safely used in ACLF-LT.The main factors affecting post-LT survival in ACLF patients are their own severe preoperative disease and intraoperative blood loss.

Delay-dependent Stability Criteria for a Class of Uncertain Neutral Systems

在这份报纸，为经常的时间延期的一个班的延期依赖者稳定性标准的问题有变化时间的结构化的无常的中立系统被调查。新 asymptotic 稳定性标准在线性矩阵不平等形式被导出。二个数字例子被给显示在这份报纸介绍的结果比一些存在结果有效、不太保守。

Extended criteria brain-dead organ donors:Prevalence and impact on the utilisation of livers for transplantation in Brazil

BACKGROUND Despite its association with higher postoperative morbidity and mortality,the use of extended criteria donor(ECD)livers for transplantation has increased globally due to the high demand for the procedure.AIM To investigate the prevalence of ECD in donation after brain death(DBD)and its impact on organ acceptance for transplantation.METHODS Retrospective analysis of DBD organ offers for liver transplantation between 2017 and 2020 in a high-volume transplant centre.The incidence of the Eurotransplant risk factors to define an ECD(ET-ECD)among DBD donors and the likelihood of organ acceptance over the years were analysed.The relationship between organ refusal for transplantation,the occurrence,and the number of ET-ECD was assessed by simple and multiple logistic regression adjustment.RESULTS A total of 1619 organ donors were evaluated.Of these,78.31%(n=1268)had at least one ET-ECD criterion.There was an increase in the acceptance of ECD DBD organs for transplantation(1 criterion:from 23.40%to 31.60%;2 criteria:from 13.10%to 27.70%;3 criteria:From 6.30%to 13.60%).For each addition of one ETECD variable,the estimated chance of organ refusal was 64.4%higher(OR 1.644,95%CI 1.469-1.839,P<0.001).Except for the donor serum sodium>165 mmol/L(P=0.310),all ET-ECD criteria increased the estimated chance of organ refusal for transplantation.CONCLUSION A high prevalence of ECD DBD was observed.Despite the increase in their utilisation,the presence and the number of extended donor criteria were associated with an increased likelihood of their refusal for transplantation.

ANALYSIS OF CRITERIA PREDICTING THE TENDENCY OF PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATION FOR LINEAR NON-LINEAR SYSTEM

Some problems encountered in applying Smith's technique to predict the PIO tendency for non-linear pilot-vehicle loop, are thoroughly analyzed. Subsequently, modified PIO predictable criteria are developed, in addition, to make also a certain improvement on Smith's PIO definition and PIO types. These modified criteria are applied to predict PIO tendency of various different configurations on the variable stability aircraft NT-33 in case of supposed non-linearity, and predicted results are compared with the flight tests and analytical results in the case of linear hypothesis given in Ref. (4)