Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Output Feedback Stabilization of Networked Control Systems With Random Delays Modeled by Markov Chains

This note investigates the output feedback stabilization of networked control systems (NCSs). The sensor-to-controller (S-C) and controller-to-actuator (C-A) random network-induced delays are modeled as Markov chains. The focus is on the design of a two-mode-dependent controller that depends on not only the current S-C delay but also the most recent available C-A delay at the controller node. The resulting closed-loop system is transformed to a special discrete-time jump linear system. Then, the sufficient and necessary conditions for the stochastic stability are established. Further, the output feedback controller is designed via the iterative linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach. Simulation examples illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Ancillary Savings and Production Benefits in the Evaluation of Industrial Energy Efficiency Measures

This paper examines the importance of ancillary savings and production benefits resulting from energy efficiency measures in industrial facilities. We review results from 81 energy efficiency projects that were developed into separate case studies for the U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). We then use a methodology to assess and quantify the energy and ancillary benefits, including production benefits, of these projects and integrate them into the economic evaluation of these projects. This methodology yields a more comprehensive Cost of Conserved Energy (CCE), which can be directly compared to the cost of energy. The case study assessment shows that ancillary savings and production benefits are quantifiable in 54 of the case studies in the sample (67.8%). The paper compares the CCE values for the data set with ancillary savings and production benefits against CCE values for the data set without such benefits and includes Conservation Supply Curves (CSC) for both sets of CCE values. CSCs are curves that display the cost of energy conservation. The analysis shows that for projects where ancillary savings and production benefits are part of the calculation, the CCE is less than the cost of energy, which signifies that in such cases it is more cost-effective to implement energy efficiency projects than to buy more energy. Since conventional modeling of payback calculations frequently omits ancillary savings and production benefits, the costeffectiveness of such projects is grossly underestimated. The paper concludes with a detailed discussion of one of the projects in the sample.
THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STOCK MARKET CAPITALIZATION RATE AND INTEREST RATE: EVIDENCE FROM JORDAN

The paper examines the effect of interest rates on the stock market capitalization rate in Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) over the period of (1999-2008). It is used the OLS regression method, multiple linear regression model and simple regression model. The time series analysis revealed that there are significant and positive relationship between government Prevailing interest rate (R) and stock market capitalization rate (S). The study shows that Government development stock rate (D) exerts negative influence on stock market capitalization rate (S), also it finds a significant and negative relationship between government Prevailing interest rate (R) and Government development stock rate (D). Finally, this study suggested the importance of government intervention to encourage investment in ASE by reducing rate of personal taxation thus, granting incentive for creation of wealth, control interest rate so as to aid the growth of the stock market and improving the regulatory environment and decreasing red tape.
Developing Algebraic Thinking Skills among Grade Three Pupils through Pictorial Models

ABSTRACT : During the primary grades, young children work with patterns. At an early age, children have a natural love for M athematics, and their curiosity is a strong motivator as they try to describe and extend patterns of shapes, colors, sounds, and eventually letters and numbers. At a young age, children can begin to make generalizations about patterns that seem to be the same or different. This kind of categorizing and generalizing is an important developmental step on the journey toward A lgebraic thinking . Algebra instruction has traditionally been postponed until adolescence , because of the assumptions about psychological development and developmental readiness. Concrete operational children tend to be capable of mental operations as long as they relate to real objects, events, and situations . As they mature, they are able to work with more abstract concepts without the aid of concrete objects. The study attempted to determine the effect of using pictorial models on the A lgebraic thinking skills of grade three pupils. The one-group pre - test – post - test experimental research design was used in this study. Twenty-eight grade three pupils participated in the study. To determine the effect of using pictorial models, an A lgebraic thinking skills test was given to the pupils before and after using pictorial models. Results showed that the use of pictorial models significantly improved the A lgebraic thinking skills of the pupils. Interviews from the pupils revealed that pictorial models helped them to solve problems easier. The findings suggest that A lgebraic thinking can be taught even at the early age. K EY WORDS : A lgebraic T hinking ; Y oung C hildren ; P atterns ; L etters and N umbers ; P ictorial M odel . About the Authors: Jadith Tagle, M.A.T. is a Teacher at the Faculty of De La Salle School-Greenhills, Philippines. Rene R. Belecina, Ph.D. is a Full Professor at the CGESTER PNU (College of Graduate Studies and Teacher Education Research, Philippine Normal University). Jose M. Ocampo, Jr., Ph.D. is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Education Sciences PNU in the Philippines. The authors can be contacted via their e-mails at: jadithtagle88@gmail.com , rrbelecina@yahoo.com , and juno_6970@yahoo.com How to cite this article? Tagle, Jadith, Rene R. Belecina & Jose M. Ocampo, Jr. (2016). “Developing Algebraic Thinking Skills among Grade Three Pupils through Pictorial Models” in EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies , Vol.8(2) February, pp.147-158. Bandung, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press and UMP Purwokerto, ISSN 1979-7877. Chronicle of the article: Accepted (November 30, 2015); Revised (January 20, 2016); and Published (February 28, 2016).
Offline Jawi handwritten recognizer using hybrid artificial neural networks and dynamic programming

This paper describes an offline Jawi handwritten recognizer using hybrid Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) as the character recognizer and Viterbi Dynamic Programming as verifier. We use a recognition-based segmentation approach to solve character segmentation problems. Segmented sub words images are segmented into a fixed width slices. The combinations of the slices form a segmentation graph. Two-layers of Back Propagation Neural Networks compute probabilities for each character hypotheses in the segmentation graph. Viterbi Dynamic Programming selects the maximum average probability of a character hypothesis combination from all possibility in segmentation graph. This system evaluates against selected word from a Jawi handwritten manuscripts. Recognition performance of the character in words presented.
Systematic review of the clinical efficacy of sibutramine and orlistat in weigth loss, quality of life and its adverse effects in obese adolescents.

INTRODUCTION The prevalence of obesity, a serious public health problem, is increasing among teenagers and thus also increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in adulthood. OBJECTIVE To provide a systematic review of the best evidence about the effect of sibutramine and orlistat in weight loss, quality of life and its adverse effects in adolescents diagnosed with obesity. METHODS We searched electronic databases and bibliographies of selected articles were inspected for any further reference. We included only randomized controlled trials that met a set of predefined criteria. The studies were reviewed by a narrative synthesis. RESULTS We included 6 randomized controlled trials of sibutramine and 3 of orlistat. The majority reached a moderate to high methodological quality. Sibutramine and orlistat showed a reduction in body mass index (BMI) that was significantly higher compared with the placebo group. We also found a variation of weight with these drugs significantly better than placebo. Only one trial evaluated the quality of life. The incidence of adverse effects was similar for sibutramine and placebo, except for tachycardia. The most common adverse reactions associated with orlistat were gastrointestinal, mild to moderate. CONCLUSIONS Sibutramine and orlistat in combination with a hypocaloric diet and changes in lifestyle in obese adolescents achieve a short-term loss of weight greater than that achieved through the dietary-behavioral therapy alone.
Low-Latency Digit-Serial Systolic Double Basis Multiplier over  $\mbi GF{(2^m})$  Using Subquadratic Toeplitz Matrix-Vector Product Approach

Recently in cryptography and security, the multipliers with subquadratic space complexity for trinomials and some specific pentanomials have been proposed. For such kind of multipliers, alternatively, we use double basis multiplication which combines the polynomial basis and the modified polynomial basis to develop a new efficient digit-serial systolic multiplier. The proposed multiplier depends on trinomials and almost equally space pentanomials (AESPs), and utilizes the subquadratic Toeplitz matrix-vector product scheme to derive a low-latency digit-serial systolic architecture. If the selected digit-size is d bits, the proposed digit-serial multiplier for both polynomials, i.e., trinomials and AESPs, requires the latency of 2⌈√{m/d⌉, while traditional ones take at least O(⌈m/d⌉) clock cycles. Analytical and application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) synthesis results indicate that both the area and the time × area complexities of our proposed architecture are significantly lower than the existing digit-serial systolic multipliers.
LRADNN: High-throughput and energy-efficient Deep Neural Network accelerator using Low Rank Approximation

In this work, we propose an energy-efficient hardware accelerator for Deep Neural Network (DNN) using Low Rank Approximation (LRADNN). Using this scheme, inactive neurons in each layer of the DNN are dynamically identified and the corresponding computations are then bypassed. Accordingly, both the memory accesses and the arithmetic operations associated with these inactive neurons can be saved. Therefore, compared to the architectures using the direct feed-forward algorithm, LRADNN can achieve a higher throughput as well as a lower energy consumption with negligible prediction accuracy loss (within 0.1%). We implement and synthesize the proposed accelerator using TSMC 65nm technology. From the experimental results, a 31% to 53% energy reduction together with a 22% to 43% throughput increase can be achieved.
Prophylactic antiepileptic treatment in Sturge–Weber disease

PURPOSE In Sturge-Weber disease, motor and cognitive defects are supposed to result mostly from severe epilepsy. They might, therefore be partly prevented by prophylactic antiepileptic drug treatment. This condition constitutes a possible model for the study of prophylactic drug treatment in severe epilepsy. In the present study, we compared the outcome of patients treated prospectively with phenobarbitone before the first seizure, with those referred following the first seizure, in order to identify the issues related to the evaluation of prophylactic treatment of severe epilepsy. METHODS Motor and cognitive outcome were compared in patients treated prophylactically with phenobarbitone (16 cases) and in those treated following the first seizures (21 cases). RESULTS Whereas the incidence of motor deficit was similar in both groups (44 vs. 52%), that of mental retardation was lower in the group treated prophylactically (76.2 vs. 43.7%, P< 0.05). The major methodological issues encountered included the small number of patients identified at birth that could be included in the study, the need for randomization taking into account the size of the angioma, and the choice of the prophylactic medication, including the occurrence of epilepsy together with the course of motor and cognitive functions among the endpoints. CONCLUSION Prophylactic anti-epileptic drug treatment is worth considering for Sturge-Weber disease, but a randomized prospective study is necessary to determine this. It should be multicentric, take in account the size of the angioma, and decide what the most appropriate medication should be.
A Systematic Examination of the Linguistic Demand of Cognitive Test Directions Administered to School-Age Populations

The selection and interpretation of individually administered norm-referenced cognitive tests that are administered to culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students continue to be an important consideration within the psychoeducational assessment process. Understanding test directions during the assessment of cognitive abilities is important, considering the high-stakes nature of these assessments. Therefore, the linguistic demand of spoken test directions from the following commonly used cognitive test batteries was examined and compared: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V), Woodcock–Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ IV COG), Cognitive Assessment System, Second Edition (CAS2), and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II). On average, the linguistic demand of the standard test directions was greater than the linguistic demand of the supplementary test directions. When examining individual test characteristics, very few individual tests were identified as outliers with respect to the linguistic demand of their test directions. This finding differs from previous research and suggests that the linguistic demand of the required directions for most tests included in commonly used cognitive batteries is similar. Implications for future research and test development are discussed.
Heterogeneous living donor hepatic fat distribution on MRI chemical shift imaging

Purpose We evaluated the heterogeneity of steatosis in living donor livers to determine its regional differences. Methods Between June 2011 and February 2012, 81 liver donors were selected. Fat fraction was estimated using magnetic resonance triple-echo chemical shifting gradient imaging in 13 different regions: segment 1 (S1), S2, S3, and each peripheral and deep region of S4, S5, S6, S7, and S8. Results There were differences (range, 3.2%-5.3%) in fat fractions between each peripheral and deep region of S4, S6, S7, and S8 (P < 0.001, P = 0.004, P < 0.001, and P = 0.006). Fat deposit amount in S1, S2, S3 and deep regions of S4-S8 were significantly different from one another (F [4.003, 58.032] = 8.684, P < 0.001), while there were no differences among the peripheral regions of S4-S8 (F [2.9, 5.3] = 1.3, P = 0.272) by repeated measure analysis of variance method. And regional differences of the amount of fat deposit in the whole liver increased as a peripheral fat fraction of S5 increased (R2 = 0.428, P < 0.001). Conclusion Multifocal fat measurements for the whole liver are needed because a small regional evaluation might not represent the remaining liver completely, especially in patients with severe hepatic steatosis.
The Effects of an Elementary After-School Enrichment Program on Gifted and Talented Students' Attitudes Toward School

The study researches interest-based learning in a controlled setting in order to gain insight into student attitudes toward school, more specifically among identified gifted and talented students. This study poses the research question, “Does an after-school program designed to cater to student needs affect student attitudes toward school? ” This was an action research study using pre and post assessments to determine elementary students’ attitudes toward school. The study was conducted at an after-school program, once a week for ten weeks total. There were ten students involved in the study, with three of them being formally identified through the school district as “gifted and talented. ” Of these participants, nine of them were females and one was male. Students ranged in grade from 2nd to 5th grade. Student interviews were conducted with a random selection of students after the conclusion of the intervention enrichment cluster to support data and findings. The results of the study were statistically significant; students declined from pre to post survey. However, through qualitative data and other data collection methods apart from the numerically scored surveys, it was observed that the students who participated in the study do have positive attitudes toward school. Students did enjoy learning about concepts, topics, and ideas in which they were interested. Interest-based activities have a substantial place in the academic culture. EFFECTS OF AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT Table of
Anomaly detection in maritime data based on geometrical analysis of trajectories

Anomaly detection is an important use of the Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), because it offers support to users to evaluate if a vessel is in trouble or causing trouble. For instance, it can be used to detect if a ship is doing something that may cause an accident or if it has changed its route to avoid bad weather condition. In this work, a new method for finding anomalies in the ships' movements is proposed. The method analyzes the trajectory of ships from a geometrical perspective. The trajectory of the ship is compared with a near-optimal path that is generated by a graph search algorithm. The proposed method extracts some scale-invariant features from the real trajectory and also from the optimal movement pattern, and it compares the two sets of features to generate an abnormality score. The method is unsupervised and it does not require training. Instead of labeling the trajectories as normal/abnormal it calculates a score value that denotes the extent of abnormality. The scoring scheme provides a ranking system in which the user can sort the trajectories based on their abnormality score. This is useful when dealing with large number of trajectories and the user wants to picks the most abnormal cases. For the evaluation, the method was run on three months data of North Pacific Ocean and score values were generated. Among the entire dataset, 100 randomly chosen trajectories were labeled by an expert. After applying a threshold on the score value, the proposed method had 94% accuracy.
Adoption of the chronic care model to improve HIV care: in a marginalized, largely aboriginal population.

OBJECTIVE To measure the effectiveness of implementing the chronic care model (CCM) in improving HIV clinical outcomes. DESIGN Multisite, prospective, interventional cohort study. SETTING Two urban community health centres in Vancouver and Prince George, BC. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred sixty-nine HIV-positive patients (18 years of age or older) who received primary care at either of the study sites. INTERVENTION Systematic implementation of the CCM during an 18-month period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Documented pneumococcal vaccination, documented syphilis screening, documented tuberculosis screening, antiretroviral treatment (ART) status, ART status with undetectable viral load, CD4 cell count of less than 200 cells/mL, and CD4 cell count of less than 200 cells/mL while not taking ART compared during a 36-month period. RESULTS Overall, 35% of participants were women and 59% were aboriginal persons. The mean age was 45 years and most participants had a history of injection drug use that was the presumed route of HIV transmission. During the study follow-up period, 39 people died, and 11 transferred to alternate care providers. Compared with their baseline clinical status, study participants showed statistically significant (P < .001 for all) increases in pneumococcal immunization (54% vs 84%), syphilis screening (56% vs 91%), tuberculosis screening (23% vs 38%), and antiretroviral uptake (47% vs 77%), as well as increased viral load suppression rates among those receiving ART (72% vs 90%). Stable housing at baseline was associated with a 4-fold increased probability of survival. Aboriginal ethnicity was not associated with better or worse outcomes at baseline or at follow-up. CONCLUSION Application of the CCM approach to HIV care in a marginalized, largely aboriginal patient population led to improved disease screening, immunization, ART uptake, and virologic suppression rates. In addition to addressing underlying social determinants of health, a paradigm shift away from an "infectious disease" approach to a "chronic disease management" approach to HIV care for marginalized populations is strongly recommended.
Embryonic Stem Cells Derived from In Vivo or In Vitro-Generated Murine Blastocysts Display Similar Transcriptome and Differentiation Potential

The use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) has resulted in the birth of more than 5 million children. While children conceived by these technologies are generally healthy, there is conflicting evidence suggesting an increase in adult-onset complications like glucose intolerance and high blood pressure in IVF children. Animal models indicate similar potential risks. It remains unclear what molecular mechanisms may be operating during in vitro culture to predispose the embryo to these diseases. One of the limitations faced by investigators is the paucity of the material in the preimplantation embryo to test for molecular analysis. To address this problem, we generated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) from blastocysts conceived after natural mating (mESCFB) or after IVF, using optimal (KSOM + 5% O2; mESCKAA) and suboptimal (Whitten’s Medium, + 20% O2, mESCWM) conditions. All three groups of embryos showed similar behavior during both derivation and differentiation into their respective mESC lines. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of microarray data showed that blastocyst culture does not affect the transcriptome of derived mESCs. Transcriptomic changes previously observed in the inner cell mass (ICM) of embryos derived in the same conditions were not present in mESCs, regardless of method of conception or culture medium, suggesting that mESC do not fully maintain a memory of the events occurring prior to their derivation. We conclude that the fertilization method or culture media used to generate blastocysts does not affect differentiation potential, morphology and transcriptome of mESCs.