Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutual Information, Relative Entropy and Estimation Error in Semi-Martingale Channels

Fundamental relations between information and estimation have been established in the literature for the continuous time Gaussian and Poisson channels. In this paper, we demonstrate that such relations hold for a much larger family of continuous-time channels. We introduce the family of semi-martingale channels where the channel output is a semi-martingale stochastic process, and the channel input modulates the characteristics of the semi-martingale. For these channels, which includes as a special case the continuous time Gaussian and Poisson models, we establish new representations relating the mutual information between the channel input and output to an optimal causal filtering loss, thereby unifying and considerably extending results from the Gaussian and Poisson settings. Extensions to the setting of mismatched estimation are also presented where the relative entropy between the laws governing the output of the channel under two different input distributions is equal to the cumulative difference between the estimation loss incurred by using the mismatched and optimal causal filters, respectively. The main tool underlying these results is the Doob–Meyer decomposition of a class of sub-martingales. The results in this paper can be viewed as the continuous-time analogues of recent generalizations for relations between information and estimation for discrete-time Lévy channels.
Disturbance Rejection for Nonlinear Uncertain Systems With Output Measurement Errors: Application to a Helicopter Model

As a virtual sensor, disturbance observer provides an alternative approach to reconstruct lumped disturbances (including external disturbances and system uncertainties) based upon system states/outputs measured by physical sensors. Not surprisingly, measurement errors bring adverse effects on the control performance and even the stability of the closed-loop system. Toward this end, this paper investigates the problem of disturbance observer-based control for a class of disturbed uncertain nonlinear systems in the presence of unknown output measurement errors. Instead of inheriting from the estimation-error-driven structure of Luenberger-type observer, the proposed disturbance observer only explicitly uses the control input. It has been proved that the proposed method endows the closed-loop system with strong robustness against output measurement errors and system uncertainties. With rigorous analysis under the semiglobal stability criterion, the guideline of gain choice based upon the proposed structure is provided. To better demonstrate feature and validity of the proposed method, numerical simulation and comparative experiments of a helicopter model are implemented.
Survival Pattern of Patients on Maintenance Haemodialysis for End Stage Renal Disease in a Nigerian Dialysis Centre

Background: The increasing incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious health challenge globally. The need to examine the longevity of patients with CKD can never be over emphasized. We investigated the survival experience and factors that may contribute to the longevity of chronic kidney disease patient on haemodialysis. Methods: Data for the study were extracted from the record of CKD patient on haemodialysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was done to assess both short- and long-term survival. The impact of six covariates on survival chances were separately investigated using Log-rank test and collectively examined using both Cox and Weibull models. Akaike Information Criterion was then employed for determination of a better model between variables. P-value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The overall median survival time was 182 days. Only 66.3% of all the patients survived their 90th days after starting dialysis and approximately 25% survived to 366 days. The hazard ratios for those patients with family history of chronic kidney disease was 0.45; 95% CI 0.23-0.90 and for those with urinary symptoms was 0.59; 95% CI 0.35-0.99. Model generated imply hi(t)= –5.1499 exp{–0.7850Family His. Of CKDi –0.5353Urinary symptomi}. The age of the patient was also found to be statistically significant when separately investigated. Conclusion: Family history of chronic kidney disease and urinary symptoms were found to influence the survival of patients on haemodialysis. Early identification of at-risk family and prompt treatment of urinary symptoms is advocated.
Recent studies on the super edge-magic deficiency of graphs

A graph $G$ is called edge-magic if there exists a bijective function $f:V\left(G\right) \cup E\left(G\right)\rightarrow \left\{1, 2, \ldots , \left\vert V\left( G\right) \right\vert +\left\vert E\left( G\right) \right\vert \right\}$ such that $f\left(u\right) + f\left(v\right) + f\left(uv\right)$ is a constant for each $uv\in E\left( G\right) $. Also, $G$ is said to be super edge-magic if $f\left(V \left(G\right)\right) =\left\{1, 2, \ldots , \left\vert V\left( G\right) \right\vert \right\}$. Furthermore, the super edge-magic deficiency $ \mu_{s}\left(G\right)$ of a graph $G$ is defined to be either the smallest nonnegative integer $n$ with the property that $G \cup nK_{1}$ is super edge-magic or $+ \infty$ if there exists no such integer $n$. In this paper, we introduce the parameter $l\left(n\right)$ as the minimum size of a graph $G$ of order $n$ for which all graphs of order $n$ and size at least $l\left(n\right)$ have $\mu_{s} \left( G \right)=+\infty $, and provide lower and upper bounds for $l\left(G\right)$. Imran, Baig, and Fe\u{n}ov\u{c}\'{i}kov\'{a} established that for integers $n$ with $n\equiv 0\pmod{4}$, $ \mu_{s}\left(D_{n}\right) \leq 3n/2-1$, where $D_{n}$ is the cartesian product of the cycle $C_{n}$ of order $n$ and the complete graph $K_{2}$ of order $2$. We improve this bound by showing that $ \mu_{s}\left(D_{n}\right) \leq n+1$ when $n \geq 4$ is even. Enomoto, Llad\'{o}, Nakamigawa, and Ringel posed the conjecture that every nontrivial tree is super edge-magic. We propose a new approach to attak this conjecture. This approach may also help to resolve another labeling conjecture on trees by Graham and Sloane.
Globalization or Regionalization of Stock Markets? the Case of Central and Eastern European Countries

This article investigates the degree of financial integration of the Eastern European countries with global and regional financial markets and compares it with the core of the euro area. A Bayesian dynamic factor model was utilized to uncover global, regional and country factors driving the co-movement of rates of return of stock indexes. In the case of the Eurozone, the role of the country and international factor was extremely stable over the analyzed period. The composition of the international factor changed over time with the share of the global factor increasing during the time of the global financial crisis. The share of the country factor in the EMU was around 10%, while it was around 20% in Visegrad 4, indicating very strong international ties between the capital markets.
SPECT Imaging With Resolution Recovery

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a method of choice for imaging spatial distributions of radioisotopes. Applications of this method are found in medicine, biomedical research and nuclear industry. This paper deals with improving spatial resolution in SPECT by applying correction for the point-spread function (PSF) in the reconstruction algorithm and optimizing the collimator. Several approaches are considered: the use of a depth-dependent PSF model for a parallel-beam collimator derived from experimental data, the extension of this model to a fan-beam collimator, a triangular approximation of the PSF for reconstruction acceleration, and a method for optimal fan-beam collimator design. An unmatched projector/backprojector ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm is used for image reconstruction. Experimental results with simulated and physical phantom data of a micro-SPECT system show a significant improvement of spatial resolution with the proposed methods.
Evaluation of agronomic performances of rainfed barley double-haploids (DHs) lines under semi-arid conditions

Abstract. Karkour L, Fenni M, Ramla D, Gaad D, Benbelkacem A. 2019. Evaluation of agronomic performances of rainfed barley double-haploids (DHs) lines under semi-arid conditions. Biodiversitas 20: 1398-1408. Sixty-six doubled-haploid (DHs) barley lines derived from F2 plants of three bi-parental single crosses, between the local variety (Tichdrett) and three introduced genotypes (Express, Plaisant, and Exito) were evaluated in 2017 for agronomic performance. The experiment was undertaken at two locations under rainfed conditions in semi-arid zone of Algeria in a randomized block design with three replications. Each line was scored for fifteen quantitative traits: number of days to heading, thousand grains weight, number of grains per spike, spikes number per m2, plant height, spike length, leaf relative water content, awn length, peduncle length, spike weight, grain weight per spike, leaf area, specific leaf weight, grain yield and harvest index. The results indicated that the presence of highly significant genotype effect for all traits except for leaf area and highly significant environment effect for all characters, except spikes number per m2and awns length. Genotype x environment interaction was highly significant for all traits, except specific leaf weight and leaf area. Significant positive correlation between the twelve agronomic traits, ranging from 0.45 to 0.87, were observed among the number of grains per spike, thousand grains weight, the number of spikes per m2, yield of grains and harvest index. The principal component analysis showed that four components could describe 72% of total variances. Cluster analysis divided all genotypes studied into three cluster groups. Overall, results of agronomic parameters and those related to the biotic and abiotic stresses will be used for better identifying this germplasm and better-directing studies of genetic improvement.
Comparative anatomy of the nasal cavity in buffaloes, camels and donkeys.

The aim of this study was to reveal the comparative anatomy of the nasal cavity in buffaloes, donkeys and camels. It was carried out on 30 heads of apparently healthy adult animals, 10of each species. Heads were fixed and used for gross and cross sectional anatomy. The study provided information about the peculiarities of nasal anatomy in each species. The conchal arrangement was greatly different in camels, while that of buffaloes and donkeys were similar to other ruminants and equine. In camels, the nasal conchae were condensed in the caudal two thirds, the ventral nasal concha was shorter and twisted and the alar and basal folds were raised from a common extension. Camels have a vestibular pouch known as lateral nasal diverticulum. It was a cylindrical tube anatomically different from the nasal diverticulum of donkeys and other equine. The cartilaginous skeleton of narial aperture was reduced in donkeys and camels. Moreover, the rostral portion of nasal septum in camels was formed of muscles instead of cartilage. In the three species, vomeronasal organ and dorsal and ventral swelling bodies were present on both sides of the nasal septum. However, in camels the vomeronasal organ was notably longer and wider. In conclusion, the anatomy of camel nasal cavity in contrast to other domestic animals was presented interesting anatomical features similar to those of proboscis-bearing mammals.
Optimal Partitions in Additively Separable Hedonic Games

We conduct a computational analysis of fair and optimal partitions in additively separable hedonic games. We show that, for strict preferences, a Pareto optimal partition can be found in polynomial time while verifying whether a given partition is Pareto optimal is coNP-complete, even when preferences are symmetric and strict. Moreover, computing a partition with maximum egalitarian or utilitarian social welfare or one which is both Pareto optimal and individually rational is NP-hard. We also prove that checking whether there exists a partition which is both Pareto optimal and envy-free is $\Sigma_{2}^{p}$-complete. Even though an envy-free partition and a Nash stable partition are both guaranteed to exist for symmetric preferences, checking whether there exists a partition which is both envy-free and Nash stable is NP-complete.
How Responsive Is a Teacher’s Classroom Practice to Intervention? A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Field Studies

While teacher effectiveness has been a particular focus of federal education policy, and districts allocate significant resources toward professional development for teachers, these efforts are guided by an unexplored assumption that classroom practice can be improved through intervention. Yet even assuming classroom practice is responsive, little information is available to inform stakeholder expectations about how much classroom practice may change through intervention, or whether particular aspects of classroom practice are more amenable to improvement. Moreover, a growing body of rigorous research evaluating programs with a focus on improving classroom practice provides a new opportunity to explore factors associated with changes in classroom practice, such as intervention, study sample, or contextual features. This study examines the question of responsiveness by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized experiments of interventions directed at classroom practice. Our empirical findings indicate that multiple dimensions of classroom practice improve meaningfully through classroom practice-directed intervention, on average, but also find substantial heterogeneity in the effects. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Partnering with Civil Society Organizations. The role of volunteers and not for profit organizations in the provision of welfare services

The purpose of this article is to make a distinctive contribution to the emergence of a new form of partnership between municipalities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). These collaborations are articulated at the border between the public and the society as well as between the formal and the informal economy. We revise the Esping-Andersen paradigm about the three main welfare regimes, where the welfare state, the family and the market are seen as three sources of managing social risks (Esping-Andersen, 1999), and we illustrate how the collaboration between CSOs and local administrations might improve the connection between the state and the citizens. In the perspective of the Third Sector Reform, which is actually underway in Italy, the hybridization of different forms of organizations could bring innovative solutions to the new real social risks of the communities. Specifically, this form of collaboration between local public administrations and the CSOs is part of the theme of volunteering and social citizenship, which advocates citizens’ empowerment in the production of social welfare and services of general interest. This area of collaboration is positioned between social rights and social obligations and provides a contribution that fosters the redistributive capacity of the public sphere through a participatory policy making.
Observation and Analysis of Incident Surge Voltage Waveforms in Substations by Winter Lightning

Summary form only given. This paper presents the observation results of surge waveforms in substations and the frequency components of such waveforms. In the Higashikanazu 77 kV power system, distribution transformers were damaged three times by winter lightning. In particular, almost the same parts were damaged at the No. 3 transformer in Katayamazu substation. To investigate the cause of the transformer failures, observation apparatus were installed at four substations in the Higashikanazu power system. Approximately 490 waveforms of incident surge were measured during the observed period. In 11 cases, simultaneous measurements of the incident surge waveforms at the four substations were achieved. By the analysis of the observed waveforms, the specific frequency components were found. From the investigation of theoretical and analytical approaches, it became clear that these frequency components depended on the power system configuration. By comparing the specific frequency components of the observed waveforms and the natural frequency components of the transformer, it was clearly shown that the overvoltages due to the internal resonance phenomena were the cause of failures. As a result, the internal resonance phenomena should be considered in the design of transformers, and the specific frequency components should be also estimated by the theoretical and analytical approaches.
Imaging Dopaminergic Dysfunction as a Surrogate Marker of Neuropathology in a Small-Animal Model of HIV

The dopaminergic system is especially vulnerable to the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, rendering dopaminergic deficits early surrogate markers of HIV-associated neuropathology. We quantified dopamine D2/3 receptors in young HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) (n = 6) and age-matched control rats (n = 7) and adult Tg (n = 5) and age-matched control rats (n = 5) using [18F]fallypride positron emission tomography (PET). Regional uptake was quantified as binding potential (BPND) using the two-tissue reference model with the cerebellum as the reference. Time-activity curves were generated for the ventral striatum, dorsal striatum, thalamus, and cerebellum. Whereas BPND values were significantly lower in the ventral striatum (p < .001) and dorsal striatum (p = .001) in the adult Tg rats compared to controls rats, they were significantly lower only in the dorsal striatum (p < .05) in the young rats. Tg rats had smaller striatal volumes on magnetic resonance imaging. We also found lower expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase on immunohistochemistry in the Tg animals. Our findings suggest that progressive striatal D2/3 receptor deficits occur in Tg rats as they age and can be detected using small-animal PET imaging. The effectiveness of various approaches in preventing or halting this dopaminergic loss in the Tg rat can thus be measured preclinically using [18F]fallypride PET as a molecular imaging biomarker of HIV-associated neuropathology.
Effects of Facetectomy and Crosslink Augmentation on Motion Segment Flexibility in Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Study Design. Biomechanical assessment using calf lumbar motion segments. Objective. To determine whether facetectomy affects the primary stability of posterior lumbar interbody fusion. Summary of Background Data. To improve visualization and access to the disc space, the facet joints frequently are removed. Previous biomechanical studies have indicated a fundamental role for the facet joints in maintaining spinal segment stability. Methods. Single motion segments from calf lumbar spines were tested for pure-moment flexibility in flexionextension (FE), lateral bending (LB), and axial rotation (AR). After testing intact, an interbody cage and pedicle screw system were implanted. Next, a bilateral facetectomy was performed, and finally a crosslink was added. Flexibility testing was repeated at each stage of implantation. Data are reported for range of motion (ROM), neutral zone (NZ), and a new compliance parameter (COM), based on the slopes of the moment-angle curve in the neutral and elastic regions. Results. With posterior lumbar interbody fusion implantation, ROM in FE was reduced 82% 4% (mean standard deviation) and NZ 78% 7% over intact (P 0.015: Wilcoxon). Reduction in LB was slightly more, whereas reduction in AR was considerably less and did not achieve statistical significance for NZ. After facetectomy, ROM in FE increased 0.3° (P 0.05), on average, and NZ did not change. In LB neither changed significantly. In AR, ROM increased 0.6° (P 0.05), and NZ increased 0.2° (P 0.05). The addition of a crosslink changed ROM and NZ less than 0.1° in FE and LB, whereas in AR it restored half of the stability lost due to facetectomy in ROM (P 0.05), and had a similar trendwise effect on NZ. The new compliance measure, COM, was found to agree with the direction of change in ROM more consistently than did NZ. Conclusion. Facetectomy causes a nominal increase in ROM and NZ in FE and LB, which are not affected by the addition of a crosslink. Although the effect of facetectomy is greater in AR—and crosslink has a measurable restoring effect—all differences are within a few tenths of a degree under this loading paradigm. Thus, the clinical utility of adding a crosslink may not be justified based on these small biomechanical changes. COM can serve as a complement to ROM and NZ, or even as a surrogate when its 2 components are reported together, as it shows strong agreement with ROM, effectively distinguishes between lax and elastic region behaviors, and provides a measure of flexibility independent of the load range.
The influence of internal marketing and job satisfaction on quality service delivery in a public health sector: A case study of a local government organization in Uganda

The major objective of this study is to examine the combined influence of internal marketing and job satisfaction on quality health service delivery in Greater Iganga Local Government. A case study research strategy is used in which data are collected using self-administered questionnaire administered to 635 respondents. A sample of 127 health centres was drawn from a population of 205 health facilities from the Ministry of Health. Health directors, head of health facilities, district health inspectors, health educators, drug inspectors, laboratory administrators, human resource directors and drug inventory managers formed the unit of inquiry on internal marketing and job satisfaction while health service clients formed the unit of inquiry on the quality of health services offered. The responses were aggregated to the respective units of analysis. The time horizon of this study was two years spanning from 2016 to 2018. SPSS was used to perform correlation and regression analysis. The correlation results indicate that independently internal marketing and job satisfaction are positive and statistically significantly associated to quality health service delivery at r=0.695; p<0.001 and r=0.720; p<0.001 respectively. Furthermore, the combination between internal marketing and job satisfaction is positively and significantly associated with quality health service delivery (r=0.728; p<0.001). Results of the correlation analysis which showed that the relationship between the three study variables (internal marketing, job satisfaction and quality health service delivery) were positive and statistically significant were supported by results of the regression analysis. This resulted in the acceptance of the three research hypotheses. Key words: Internal marketing, job satisfaction, service delivery, public health sector, local government.