Money plays an important role in our lives. We have a lot of dreams, but short of funds that are needed to keep them alive.  So we have to focus our goals and choose which one is best to you. It is difficult to save the entire...

Visualization of search results is an essential step in the textual Information Retrieval (IR) process. Indeed, Information Retrieval Interfaces (IRIs) are used as a link between users and IR systems, a simple example being the ranked list proposed by common search engines. Due to the importance that takes visualization of search results, many interfaces have been proposed in the last decade (which can be textual, 2D or 3D IRIs). Two kinds of evaluation methods have been developed: (1) various evaluation methods of these interfaces were proposed aiming at validating ergonomic and cognitive aspects; (2) various evaluation methods were applied on information retrieval systems (IRS) aiming at measuring their effectiveness. However, as far as we know, these two kinds of evaluation methods are disjoint. Indeed, considering a given IRI associated to a given IRS, what happens if we associate this IRI to another IRS not having the same effectiveness. In this context, we propose an IRI evaluation framework aimed at evaluating the suitability of any IRI to different IR scenarios. First of all, we define the notion of IR scenario as a combination of features related to users, IR tasks and IR systems. We have implemented the framework through a specific evaluation platform that enables performing IRI evaluations and that helps end-users (e.g. IRS developers or IRI designers) in choosing the most suitable IRI for a specific IR scenario.

Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to empirically quantify the financial distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on companies listed on Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). The paper also aims to identify the most important predictors of financial distress pre- and mid-pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge toll, not only on human lives but also on many businesses. This provided the impetus to assess the impact of the pandemic on the financial status of Jordanian companies. Methodology: The initial sample comprised 165 companies, which was cleansed and reduced to 84 companies as per data availability. Financial data pertaining to the 84 companies were collected over a two-year period, 2019 and 2020, to empirically quantify the impact of the pandemic on companies in the dataset. Two approaches were employed. The first approach involved using Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) based on Altman’s (1968) model to obtain the Z-score of each company over the investigation period. The second approach involved developing models using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) with 15 standard financial ratios to find out the most important variables in predicting financial distress and create an accurate Financial Distress Prediction (FDP) model. Contribution: This research contributes by providing a better understanding of how financial distress predictors perform during dynamic and risky times. The research confirmed that in spite of the negative impact of COVID-19 on the financial health of companies, the main predictors of financial distress remained relatively steadfast. This indicates that standard financial distress predictors can be regarded as being impervious to extraneous financial and/or health calamities. Findings: Results using MDA indicated that more than 63% of companies in the dataset have a lower Z-score in 2020 when compared to 2019. There was also an 8% increase in distressed companies in 2020, and around 6% of companies came to be no longer healthy. As for the models built using ANNs, results show that the most important variable in predicting financial distress is the Return on Capital. The predictive accuracy for the 2019 and 2020 models measured using the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) graph was 87.5% and 97.6%, respectively. Recommendations for Practitioners: Decision makers and top management are encouraged to focus on the identified highly liquid ratios to make thoughtful decisions and initiate preemptive actions to avoid organizational failure. Recommendation for Researchers: This research can be considered a stepping stone to investigating the impact of COVID-19 on the financial status of companies. Researchers are recommended to replicate the methods used in this research across various business sectors to understand the financial dynamics of companies during uncertain times. Impact on Society: Stakeholders in Jordanian-listed companies should concentrate on the list of most important predictors of financial distress as presented in this study. Future Research: Future research may focus on expanding the scope of this study by including other geographical locations to check for the generalisability of the results. Future research may also include post-COVID-19 data to check for changes in results.

Your company’s ability to meet market demand depends on its access to skilled labor in the field. That is a current challenge with low unemployment and ongoing skilled labor shortages. 

In every food plant, there are gears and bearings that need grease, machines that need oil changes and components that need regular lubrication to continue performing at their best.

Despite being used for several decades, test-based incentives have not consistently generated positive effects on student achievement, says a new report from the National Research Council.

To improve and ensure the efficacy of restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon – the largest oil spill in U.S. history – a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends a set of best practices for monitoring and evaluating ecological restoration activities.

A new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine proposes a strategy that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should use to evaluate the evidence of adverse human health effects from low doses of exposure to chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine finds that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) approach to its ongoing Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment plan is appropriate for synthesizing the scientific evidence and quantifying estimates of inorganic arsenic toxicity.

As cochlear implant technology has significantly improved, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) should use a more difficult test than the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) to make disability benefit determinations in adults and children after cochlear implant surgery, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

As businesses and homeowners across the nation wrestle with inflation and stretching their dollars for maximum value, one area that can’t be overlooked is the heating system.

Rising commercial vacancies and a declining population indicate that Haltom City is lagging in this area.

The post How to Evaluate the Success of SEO Strategy appeared first on DailyBlogTips.com.

Pure Water LA/Operation Next would increase the resiliency of drinking water supplies to future costs, earthquakes and climate-induced drought.

Psychotherapy: Three approaches evaluated- Institut national de la sant� et de la recherche m�dicale.

Study on methods and metrics to evaluate energy efficiency for future 5G systems

The Pentagon is also working with major cloud service providers like Microsoft and Google to evaluate their zero trust implementations.

The post DoD evaluates zero trust use cases, cloud providers first appeared on Federal News Network.

For parents considering autism interventions for their children, evaluating treatments can be daunting. Experts talked to The Times about what to watch for.

Robert Brockman — the business tycoon charged in the United States in largest-ever tax case against a U.S. individual — will be evaluated by a team of three doctors. The Daily Beast story reported, “Robert Brockman—the software billionaire charged in the largest tax evasion case in American history, who has since claimed to have a […]

The landmark 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has committed nearly $400 billion to mitigating climate change. Nine research teams across the U.S, including a Princeton team led by Jesse Jenkins, have now modeled the law's effect on U.S. carbon emissions.

A new process for judging the quality of professional development has made its debut, with the aim of answering a difficult question: Which PD is high-quality and which isn't?

In several malignancies, only a limited number of patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Predicting and monitoring responses to these inhibitors represent an unmet clinical need. Here, we developed a PET/CT probe targeting granzyme B, [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-NOTA-Gly-Gly-Gly-Ile-Glu-Pro-Asp-CHO (GSI), and aimed to investigate whether it can be used to monitor the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors early in the course of therapy. Methods: Seventy-two patients with gastric cancer (stages III–IV) were recruited for [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-NOTA-GSI PET/CT imaging after 2 or 3 cycles of the immunotherapy, and 40 patients were included in the final analysis. The SUV_max of primary tumors (SUV_max-t), SUV_max of metastatic lymph nodes (SUV_max-LN), and SUV_max of normal tissues (liver and blood pool) were measured, and their target-to-liver background ratio (TLR) and target-to-blood background ratio (TBR) were denoted for primary tumors as TLR_tumor and TBR_tumor and for metastatic lymph nodes as TLR_LN and TBR_LN, respectively. The treatment responses were assessed within 1 wk after full-course treatment according to RECIST version 1.1. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to compare the PET/CT parameters between responders and nonresponders. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-NOTA-GSI PET/CT parameters in identifying responders. Two-tailed P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: We found that SUV_max-t, TLR_tumor, TBR_tumor, SUV_max-LN, and TBR_LN were higher in responders than in nonresponders (2.49 ± 0.58 vs. 1.55 ± 0.48, P = 0.000; 2.24 ± 0.48 vs. 1.74 ± 0.67, P = 0.007; 1.38 ± 0.43 vs. 0.90 ± 0.23, P = 0.000; 2.24 ± 0.99 vs. 1.42 ± 0.55, P = 0.003; and 1.28 ± 0.68 vs. 0.83 ± 0.32, P = 0.012, respectively). According to receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve for SUV_max-t, TBR_tumor, TLR_tumor, SUV_max-LN, TLR_LN, and TBR_LN was 0.886, 0.866, 0.746, 0.772, 0.648, and 0.731, respectively. The threshold of SUV_max-t was 2.05, and its sensitivity and specificity were 81.0% and 84.2%, respectively. In addition, multivariate logistic regression indicated that TBR_tumor was an independent predictor of treatment response (P = 0.03). Conclusion: Our results indicated that [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-NOTA-GSI PET/CT is a promising tool for predicting early response to combined immunotherapy in gastric cancer patients.

Board against revaluation despite verification revealing that student had been marked wrongly

In a letter to various Central ministers, SEA said that this decision could have far-reaching negative consequences for multiple sectors

Meet decides to appoint Arun S. Nair as Sabarimala ADM to oversee general coordination of the pilgrimage

The IPO is likely to be in the range of $300-350 million, sources say

Recently, researchers from Boston University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama have been taking a closer look at the vibrations that red-eyed treefrog embryos use as cues to trigger early hatching. They discovered that treefrog embryos can evaluate different features of vibrations.

The post Researchers discover treefrog embryos can evaluate different features of vibrations appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

School's nearly back in session, but the seven young lions at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have been working hard through the summer months!

The post Lion cub summer school: Instead of learning their ABCs, the National Zoo’s lion cubs are learning behaviors that will help animal care staff evaluate their health. appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Despite being used for several decades, test-based incentives have not consistently generated positive effects on student achievement, says a new report from the National Research Council.

To improve and ensure the efficacy of restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon – the largest oil spill in U.S. history – a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends a set of best practices for monitoring and evaluating ecological restoration activities.

A new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine proposes a strategy that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should use to evaluate the evidence of adverse human health effects from low doses of exposure to chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine finds that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) approach to its ongoing Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessment plan is appropriate for synthesizing the scientific evidence and quantifying estimates of inorganic arsenic toxicity.

Staff in buildings that have been certified as ‘green’ under the LEED scheme are just as satisfied with their indoor working environment as people working in non-LEED buildings, according to research on commercial buildings. The study suggests that investment in the thermal and acoustic aspects of buildings, however, would further improve occupant satisfaction.

A new analysis has indicated that policies to encourage active travel, such as walking and cycling, lead to a large but complex range of health benefits. However, it is not always possible to tell which policy has had which specific impact. The study argues for improved approaches to evaluating travel policy that consider indirect policy impacts.

Researchers have designed and proposed a new organic waste management plan for Catalonia, Spain, and presented it in a recent study. They say that the plan would reduce a number of environmental impacts that arise from landfilling biodegradable waste, including natural resource depletion, acidification, and eutrophication.

A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of efforts to combat environmental crime in the EU has been recently conducted. It highlights a number of opportunities for improvement, including better crime data gathering across the EU and enhanced cooperation between Member States.

Farmers have collaborated with scientists in France to evaluate agri-environmental measures that reduce soil erosion and surface water pollution at a catchment level. The exercise helped the farmers understand the benefits of the measures and provides an example of how policymakers could engage with stakeholders under the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

According to a recent study, flood risk management projects should be economically evaluated in terms of their efficiency, i.e. the sum of the costs and benefits of a project over its lifetime. This would capture more fully the value of non-structural measures, such as warning and evacuation systems, that are better in terms of effectiveness related to hydrological protection standards.

Worldwide, programmes have been implemented to protect water quality from human pressures, often using ecological indicators as a method of evaluation. An eight-year study of a Portuguese estuary has found that indicators based on multiple measures of fish communities, such as the number and relative abundance of resident and migrant species, reflect human pressures on these transitional waters and could improve the implementation of water protection programmes.

Conservation researchers have warned against acting on the findings of a previous study that argued for the eradication of several invasive birds, including the Canada goose and sacred ibis, in Europe. They suggest the results are based on anecdotal rather than scientific evidence, and that detailed feasibility studies are needed before such management decisions are made.

The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has highlighted the need to effectively evaluate possible response strategies. A new decision support tool can be used to consider the environmental, socio-economic and management effects of different responses to spills, translating them into monetary terms to provide a common currency for comparison.

A new study has evaluated disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed during the treatment of ballast water. As some of the DBPs produced are hazardous, the study concludes that more information is needed to ensure DBPs from treatment methods do not harm human health or aquatic environments.

A recent study has evaluated frameworks and tools used in Europe to assess the potential health and environmental risks of manufactured nanomaterials. The study identifies a trend towards tools that provide protocols for conducting experiments, which enable more flexible and efficient hazard testing. Among its conclusions, however, it notes that no existing frameworks meet all the study’s evaluation criteria and calls for a new, more comprehensive framework.

YouTube creator Mark Brown shares tips and research on how developers can better manage player feedback to improve their games. ...

YouTube creator Mark Brown shares tips and research on how developers can better manage player feedback to improve their games. ...

​​When the novel coronavirus began to appear in India, I was concerned for the people of the Himalayas above Rishikesh, where I have been blessed to live for the past 24 years. If Covid-19 spread to the remote and unequipped villages of India, how much life would be lost?

13 Questions You Should Ask Before Backing A Crowdfunding Project on Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Beyond