A Systems Engineering Methodology for Wide Area Network Selection using an Analytical Hierarchy Process

In this paper, we apply a systems engineering methodology to select the most appropriate wide area network (WAN) media suite, according to organizational technical requirements, using an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). AHP is a mathematical decision modeling tool that utilizes decomposition, determination, and synthesis to solve complex engineering decision problems. AHP can deal with the universal modeling of process engineering decision-making, which is difficult to describe quantitatively, by integrating quantitative and qualitative analysis. We formulate and apply AHP to a hypothetical case study in order to examine its feasibility for the WAN media selection problem. The results indicate that our model can improve the decision-making process by evaluating and comparing all alternative WANs. This shows that AHP can support and assist an organization in choosing the most effective solution according to its demands. AHP is an effective resource-saver from many perspectives—it gives high performance, economic, and high quality solutions. Keywords: Analytical Hierarchy Process, Wide Area Network, AHP Consistency, WAN alternatives

A Little Aspect of Real Analysis, Topology and Probability

The body of the paper is divided into three parts: Part one: include definitions and examples of the metric, norm and topology along with some important terms such as metrics l1,l2,l∞ and vector norm |x|p which also known as the Lp space. In case of the topology space this concept adjusted to be a unit ball that is distance one from a point unit circle. Part two: demonstrate the measure and probability which is one of the main topics in this work. This section serves as an introduction for the remaining part. It explains the construction of the σ-algebra and the Borel set, and the usefulness of the Borel set in the probability theory. Part Three: to understand the measure, one has to understand finitely additive measure and countable additivity of subsets, besides knowing the definition of ring, σ-ring and their measure extension. One also has to differentiate between the terms premeasure, outer measure and measure from their domains and additivity conditions, which is clarified in the form of table. The advantage of measurable function and the induced measure is explained, as both share to define the probability as a measure, the probability that has values in the Borel set. As a summary of this section, a Borel σ-algebra shows a special role in real-life probability because numerical data, real numbers, is gathered whenever a random experiment is performed. In this work a simple technique that is supported by pictorial presentation mostly is used, and for easiness most proofs are replaced by examples. I have freely borrowed a lot of material from various sources, and collected them in the manner that makes this thesis equipped with a little aspect of the real analysis, topology and probability theory

Voicing the Voiceless: Unraveling the Master/Slave Relationship in Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People

This article examines the Master/Slave relationship in Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People using stylistics. The novel is set in a village for the black people. July, the black servant, hides the white family, the Smales, from the black people. There has been a revolution against the white people and their apartheid system. The novel traces July’s development in his relationship with the Smales. During the novel, we witness a major change in July’s attitude towards the Smales. The old Master/Slave relationship has changed drastically. July seizes the tools of power from the white family. In this article, I’m going to trace July’s development and how he has managed to shake the foundation of the Master/Slave relationship. Moreover, I’m going to follow a textual analysis of the novel using Michael Toolan’s analysis of conversation in fiction. His analysis will count for the changes that occur for July. Keywords: Post-colonialism, Nadine Gordimer, July’s people, subaltern, stylistics

Blunted Cystine–Glutamate Antiporter Function in the Nucleus Accumbens Promotes Cocaine-induced Drug Seeking

Repeated cocaine alters glutamate neurotransmission, in part, by reducing cystine–glutamate exchange via system xc−, which maintains glutamate levels and receptor stimulation in the extrasynaptic compartment. In the present study, we undertook two approaches to determine the significance of plasticity involving system xc−. First, we examined whether the cysteine prodrug N-acetylcysteine attenuates cocaine-primed reinstatement by targeting system xc−. Rats were trained to self-administer cocaine (1 mg/kg/200 μl, i.v.) under extended access conditions (6 h/day). After extinction training, cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) primed reinstatement was assessed in rats pretreated with N-acetylcysteine (0–60 mg/kg, i.p.) in the presence or absence of the system xc− inhibitor (S)-4-carboxyphenylglycine (CPG; 0.5 μM; infused into the nucleus accumbens). N-acetylcysteine attenuated cocaine-primed reinstatement, and this effect was reversed by co-administration of CPG. Secondly, we examined whether reduced system xc− activity is necessary for cocaine-primed reinstatement. To do this, we administered N-acetylcysteine (0 or 90 mg/kg, i.p.) prior to 12 daily self-administration sessions (1 mg/kg/200 μl, i.v.; 6 h/day) since this procedure has previously been shown to prevent reduced activity of system xc−. On the reinstatement test day, we then acutely impaired system xc− in some of the rats by infusing CPG (0.5 μM) into the nucleus accumbens. Rats that had received N-acetylcysteine prior to daily self-administration sessions exhibited diminished cocaine-primed reinstatement; this effect was reversed by infusing the cystine–glutamate exchange inhibitor CPG into the nucleus accumbens. Collectively these data establish system xc− in the nucleus accumbens as a key mechanism contributing to cocaine-primed reinstatement

Race-specific differences in the phase coherence between blood flow and oxygenation:A simultaneous NIRS, white light spectroscopy and LDF study

Race-specific differences in the level of glycated hemoglobin are well known. However, these differences were detected by invasive measurement of mean oxygenation, and their understanding remains far from complete. Given that oxygen is delivered to the cells by hemoglobin through the cardiovascular system, a possible approach is to investigate the phase coherence between blood flow and oxygen transportation. Here we introduce a noninvasive optical method based on simultaneous recordings using NIRS, white light spectroscopy and LDF, combined with wavelet-based phase coherence analysis. Signals were recorded simultaneously for individuals in two groups of healthy subjects, 16 from Sub-Saharan Africa (BA group) and 16 Europeans (CA group). It was found that the power of myogenic oscillations in oxygenated and de-oxygenated hemoglobin is higher in the BA group, but that the phase coherence between blood flow and oxygen saturation, or blood flow and hemoglobin concentrations is higher in the CA grou

HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF GLIMEPIRIDE AND TIMOLOL IN PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS USING BRITTON -ROBINSON BUFFER IN MOBILE PHASES

Actually, Glimepiride (GLI) and Timolol (TIM) are analysed by several analytical techniques such as HPLC, Uv Vis and electrochemical methods, but in this study these compounds were determined by use Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffer pH3 in mobile phases as a new work. B-R pH3 : Acetonitrile : Water : Methanol (10 : 30 : 10 : 50 % v/v/v/v) and B-R pH3 : Acetonitrile : Methanol (30 : 15 : 55 % v/v/v), were used as mobile phases for chromatographic studies of GLI and TIM respectively. 1´10-3 mol L-1 of GLI and TIM were prepared  by dissolving the suitable weight of analyte in methanol and distilled water respectively, in 50 ml volumetric flask. GLI and TIM were HPLC separated from interferences and analytical determined using C-18 (5µm) with UV detector at 254 nm and 1.00 mL min-1 flow rate by 10 µL injection volume. The calibration curves for GLI and TIM  were studied over the range 1×10-4 to 1×10-3 mol L-1 (correlation coefficient = 0.994, n=6) for GLI and (correlation coefficient = 0.996, n=6) for TIM. The HPLC reproducibility and stability were evaluated for 5×10-4 mol L-1 of GLI and TIM , yielded good results for ten HPLC measurements with relative standard deviations RSD% were 0.43 and 1.1%, and good stability observed. The developed HPLC was applied to determine of GLI and TIM in pharmaceutical formulations with mean recoveries 103% ±0.71 and 99% ±1.0, respectively.  

Repeated \u3cem\u3eN\u3c/em\u3e-Acetylcysteine Administration Alters Plasticity-Dependent Effects of Cocaine

Cocaine produces a persistent reduction in cystine–glutamate exchange via system xc− in the nucleus accumbens that may contribute to pathological glutamate signaling linked to addiction. System xc− influences glutamate neurotransmission by maintaining basal, extracellular glutamate in the nucleus accumbens, which, in turn, shapes synaptic activity by stimulating group II metabotropic glutamate autoreceptors. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that a long-term reduction in system xc− activity is part of the plasticity produced by repeated cocaine that results in the establishment of compulsive drug seeking. To test this, the cysteine prodrug N-acetylcysteine was administered before daily cocaine to determine the impact of increased cystine–glutamate exchange on the development of plasticity-dependent cocaine seeking. Although N-acetylcysteine administered before cocaine did not alter the acute effects of cocaine on self-administration or locomotor activity, it prevented behaviors produced by repeated cocaine including escalation of drug intake, behavioral sensitization, and cocaine-primed reinstatement. Because sensitization or reinstatement was not evident even 2–3 weeks after the last injection of N-acetylcysteine, we examined whether N-acetylcysteine administered before daily cocaine also prevented the persistent reduction in system xc− activity produced by repeated cocaine. Interestingly, N-acetylcysteine pretreatment prevented cocaine-induced changes in [35S]cystine transport via system xc−, basal glutamate, and cocaine-evoked glutamate in the nucleus accumbens when assessed at least 3 weeks after the last N-acetylcysteine pretreatment. These findings indicate that N-acetylcysteine selectively alters plasticity-dependent behaviors and that normal system xc− activity prevents pathological changes in extracellular glutamate that may be necessary for compulsive drug seeking

Differential Item Functioning of Verbal Ability Test in Gulf Multiple Mental Ability Scale for GCC Students According to Gender and Country

هدفت الدراسة الكشف عن الأداء التفاضلي لمفردات اختبار القدرة اللفظية بالمستوى الثاني في مقياس جماس نحو الطالبات الإناث وطلبة سلطنة عمان، وذلك باستخدام طريقتي مانتل هانزل، والصعوبة المحوّلة. تكوّن الاختبار من 30 مفردة من نوع الاختيار من متعدد، بأربعة بدائل، وتكوّنت عينة الدراسة من بيانات أرشيفية لطلبة الصفين الثالث والرابع الابتدائيين في دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، والبالغ عددهم 4280 طالبًا وطالبة. أشارت نتائج الدراسة أن طريقة مانتل هانزل كشفت أن 60% من مفردات الاختبار أظهرت أداءً تفاضليًا تبعًا لمتغير النوع الاجتماعي. بالمثل فإن 60% من مفردات هذا الاختبار أظهرت أداءً تفاضليًا تبعًا لمتغير الدولة. ويُعد هذا الأداء التفاضلي ضعيفًا في معظم المفردات حسب مؤشر D. وقد أظهرت نتائج طريقة الصعوبة المحوّلة وجود أداء تفاضلي بنسبة 30% تبعًا لمتغير النوع الاجتماعي و33.33% تبعًا لمتغير الدولة. أما فيما يتعلق بفحص الاتفاق بين طريقة مانتل هانزل وطريقة الصعوبة المحوّلة فكانت قيمة معامل ثبات التصنيف كابا 0.524 وبنسبة اتفاق 70% تبعًا لمتغير النوع الاجتماعي ويعتبر توافقًا متوسطًا؛ بينما كانت قيمة معامل ثبات التصنيف كابا 0.158 وبنسبة اتفاق 46.67% تبعًا لمتغير الدولة ويعتبر توافقًا ضعيفًا. وأوصت بدراسة الأسباب التي أدت إلى ظهور الأداء التفاضلي في مفردات اختبار القدرة اللفظية بالمستوى الثاني لمقياس جماس التي تم الكشف عنها لتجنبها ومعالجتها.The study aimed to investigate the differential item functioning (DIF) for verbal ability test items in the Gulf Multiple Mental Ability Scale for female students in general and Omani Female students in particular in using Mantel-Haenszel (MH) and the Transformed Item Difficulty (TID) methods. The test consisted of 30 multiple-choice items with four distactors. The study sample consisted of the archive data for 4280 students of the third and fourth grades in GCC countries. The results revealed that Sixty Pecent of the items showed DIF related to gender using MH. Similarly, Sixty Pecent of the items showed DIF related to country using MH. DIF values were small indicating weak DIF in most items. Results also indicated that DIF using TID was found for Thirty percent of the items related to gender, and 33.33% related to country. Furthermore, Kappa coefficient 0.524 was moderate between MH method and TID for gender and the agreement ratio was 70%. Kappa coefficient 0.158 was weak between MH method and TID for country and the agreement ratio was 46.67%. Based on the study results the reseachers recommend invistigating the reasons behind the detected differential functioning of some items in the verbal ability test at the second level of the GMMAS scale to avoid and address it

Design and Modelling of Printed Log Periodic Dipole Array Antenna with Different Feeding Methods

This research has been supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic under the project OP VVV Electrical Engineering Technologies with High-Level of Embedded Intelligence CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/18_069/0009855 and by the project SGS- 2021-005: Research, development and implementation of modern electronic and information systems.This paper presents the design and analysis of a traditional printed log-periodic dipole array antenna with two feeding methods: direct feeding and straight coaxial feeding. Ten linear dipoles have been arranged in logarithmic style to cover an operating frequency bandwidth from 0.7 GHz to 2.3 GHz with a direct feeding method. At the same time, the same structure offered impedance bandwidth from 0.7 GHz up to 8 GHz with a coaxial feeding method. Moreover, the results showed that the coaxial cable method has lower antenna gain than a direct feeding method. Two different insulator materials have been utilized in the simulation of the coaxial cable feeding method to present the reason for achieving lower gain; air (lossy-free) and epoxy FR-4 (er = 4. 4). The simulation results of both feeding methods are in line with the measurement results