Efficient Text Classification with Linear Regression Using a Combination of Predictors for Flu Outbreak Detection

Early prediction of disease outbreaks and seasonal epidemics such as Influenza may reduce their impact on daily lives. Today, the web can be used for surveillance of diseases.Search engines and Social Networking Sites can be used to track trends of different diseases more quickly than government agencies such as Center of Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). Today, Social Networking Sites (SNS) are widely used by diverse demographic populations. Thus, SNS data can be used effectively to track disease outbreaks and provide necessary warnings. Although the generated data of microblogging sites is valuable for real time analysis and outbreak predictions, the volume is huge. Therefore, one of the main challenges in analyzing this huge volume of data is to find the best approach for accurate analysis in an efficient time. Regardless of the analysis time, many studies show only the accuracy of applying different machine learning approaches. Current SNS-based flu detection and prediction frameworks apply conventional machine learning approaches that require lengthy training and testing, which is not the optimal solution for new outbreaks with new signs and symptoms. The aim of this study is to propose an efficient and accurate framework that uses SNS data to track disease outbreaks and provide early warnings, even for newest outbreaks accurately. The presented framework of outbreak prediction consists of three main modules: text classification, mapping, and linear regression for weekly flu rate predictions. The text classification module utilizes the features of sentiment analysis and predefined keyword occurrences. Various classifiers, including FastText and six conventional machine learning algorithms, are evaluated to identify the most efficient and accurate one for the proposed framework. The text classifiers have been trained and tested using a pre-labeled dataset of flu-related and unrelated Twitter postings. The selected text classifier is then used to classify over 8,400,000 tweet documents. The flu-related documents are then mapped ona weekly basis using a mapping module. Lastly, the mapped results are passed together with historical Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data to a linear regression module for weekly flu rate predictions. The evaluation of flu tweet classification shows that FastText together with the extracted features, has achieved accurate results with anF-measure value of 89.9% in addition to its efficiency. Therefore, FastText has been chosen to be the classification module to work together with the other modules in the proposed framework, including the linear regression module, for flu trend predictions. The prediction results are compared with the available recent data from CDC as the ground truth and show a strong correlation of 96.2%

The Degree of Using Alternative Assessment Strategies by the Teachers of the First Three Grades in the Tabuk Region: Survey Study

The main aim of this study is to find out the degree of employment of alternative assessment strategies in the first three grades’ teachers at schools in Tabuk region. The sample of the study includes (75 male teachers and 95 female teachers) the total number of the sample is 165 subjects. The instrument of the study was developed based on the alternative assessment strategies. The psychometric characteristics of the instrument of the studies were determined. The results of the study showed that the most often used strategy by teachers is the paper and pencil strategy. Then the strategy of self-correction. The least used strategy is the observation strategy. The study also showed that female and male teacher’s estimation of the degree of employment was in general about average/in the middle. This study showed that there were no significant differences in the degree of employment of alternative assessment strategies among the first three grades’ teachers due to gender or experience. Nevertheless, there are significant differences in the degree of employment of the strategy of performance, paper and pencil and communication strategies due to the grade of the students. The study recommended conducting further studies on alternative assessments studie

READERS BATTALION IN ABDUL RAHMAN BIN ALASHAATH ARMY

Abdul Rahman bin Alashaath revolution was considered one of the most important and most dangerous revolutions in the Umayyad period, even though it was not doctrinal. This revolution started from the eastern borders of the Islamic state against Iraq. Wali Al-Hajjaj bn Yusuf Thaqafi rose up and took over from Al Khalifa Abdul Malik bin Marwan. What distinguishes this revolution share readers of the people of Iraq in addition to a large number of loyalists who were indignant by the economic and social conditions? Readers played an important role in the revolution and they were able to achieve many victories. However, Al-Hajjaj managed to defeat them at the Battle of Deir Al-jamajem and abolish their revolution

The Reality of the Services Marketing at the Jordanian Civil Registry and Passport Department

This study aimed to introduce the real situation of the services provided by the Jordanian Civil and Citizenship Department based on the citizens' point of view. This study adopted a descriptive analytical approach in which the questionnaire was the study tool. The study sample comprised 511 citizens and the results showed that the mean for the marketing of services was medium for all divisions, where, the electronic services had the highest mean followed by marketing, then the public relations and the least mean was for services fees. According to the results of this study, the researcher recommended that more attention must be payed towards improving the services provided by the Jordanian Civil and Citizenship Department and their marketing. He also urges the Department to keep their hard work and efforts in order to achieve advanced and prosperous services and marketing and to ensure the empowerment of the relation between the employees and the citizens through social and personal communications. Key words: Services marketing, the Jordanian Civil and Citizenship Department, Jordan

READERS BATTALION IN ABDUL RAHMAN BIN ALASHAATH ARMY

Abdul Rahman bin Alashaath revolution was considered one of the most important and most dangerous revolutions in the Umayyad period, even though it was not doctrinal. This revolution started from the eastern borders of the Islamic state against Iraq. Wali Al-Hajjaj bn Yusuf Thaqafi rose up and took over from Al Khalifa Abdul Malik bin Marwan. What distinguishes this revolution share readers of the people of Iraq in addition to a large number of loyalists who were indignant by the economic and social conditions? Readers played an important role in the revolution and they were able to achieve many victories. However, Al-Hajjaj managed to defeat them at the Battle of Deir Al-jamajem and abolish their revolution

The Regulatory Review Process in South Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for a New Improved System.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to assess the regulatory review process in South Africa from 2015 to 2017, identify the key milestones and timelines; evaluate the effectiveness of measures to ensure consistency, transparency, timeliness, and predictability in the review process; and to provide recommendations for enhanced regulatory practices. METHODS: A questionnaire was completed by the Medicines Control Council (MCC) to describe the organization of the authority, record key milestones and timelines in the review process and to identify good review practices (GRevPs). RESULTS: Currently, the MCC conducts a full assessment of quality, efficacy, and safety data in the review of all applications. The overall regulatory median approval time decreased by 14% in 2017 (1411 calendar days) compared with that of 2016, despite the 27% increase in the number of applications. However, the MCC has no target for overall approval time of new active substance applications and no targets for key review milestones. Guidelines, standard operating procedures, and review templates are in place, while the formal implementation of GRevPs and the application of an electronic document management system are planned for the near future. CONCLUSIONS: As the MCC transitions to the newly established South Africa Health Products Regulatory Authority, it would be crucial for the authority to recognize the opportunities for an enhanced regulatory review and should consider models such as abridged assessment, which encompass elements of risk stratification and reliance. It is hoped that resource constraints may then be alleviated and capacity developed to meet target timelines.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Retinopathy of prematurity in infants with birth weight above 1500 grams

Objective: To identify the rate and prognosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among newborn infants of birthweight of above 1500 grams, and the possible risk factors associated with the disease.Design: A prospective cohort study.Setting: Neonatal unit at Maternity Hospital, Kuwait city, Kuwait.Methods: All low birth weight infants were examined for the presence of ROP in the period between January 1996 to December 1997. Prospective collection of data on babies who were above 1500 grams was done to find an association between the disease in these babies and some of the maternal and neonatal risk factors.Results: A total of 68 babies of birth weight above 1500 grams were screened for ROP out of which 13 (19.1%) had different stages of the disease. None of the patients had threshold disease requiring surgery. Among the risk factors chosen, oxygen therapy, presence ofhypotension at birth and the non-use of surfactant were the only risk factors to be associated with disease. However, with logistic regression analysis, none of these were independently associated with ROP.Conclusion: ROP may occur in newborn infants of larger birthweight but with good prognosis, and oxygen therapy seems to predispose to the disease

The Effect of Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Sensory Processing of Children with Autism

Cross-sectional quasi- experimental research design was carried out to examine whether the delivering series of therapeutic horseback riding intervention resulted in an enhancement of sensory characteristics required for effective sensory possessing in children with autism for the experimental group compared to the control group. The participants of this study were 16 children with autism recruited from Al-Wafaa Center for Autism Related Disabilities in Bhrain. It was hypothesized that children with autism provided with Therapeutic Horseback riding in a natural setting (n= 8) would exhibit improvement in sensory processing compared to children who did not get the treatment (n= 8) following an 8- consecutive weeks of therapeutic horseback riding activity. The result of this study indicated that therapeutic horseback riding has a positive impact on sensory profile of children with autism across all sensory dimensions; visual, auditory, smell, tolerance, dehlez, and movement. Further research is needed to allow the use of larger experimental and control samples, and to allow longitudinal studies in order to evaluate the duration of intervention benefits

Reallocating charging loads of electric vehicles in distribution networks

In this paper, the charging loads of electric vehicles were controlled to avoid their impact on distribution networks. A centralized control algorithm was developed using unbalanced optimal power flow calculations with a time resolution of one minute. The charging loads were optimally reallocated using a central controller based on non-linear programming. Electric vehicles were recharged using the proposed control algorithm considering the network constraints of voltage magnitudes, voltage unbalances, and limitations of the network components (transformers and cables). Simulation results showed that network components at the medium voltage level can tolerate high uptakes of uncontrolled recharged electric vehicles. However, at the low voltage level, network components exceeded their limits with these high uptakes of uncontrolled charging loads. Using the proposed centralized control algorithm, these high uptakes of electric vehicles were accommodated in the network under study without the need of upgrading the network components

Model of Transmission Rate Allocation WiMAX with Taking Into Account the Defined Priorities

The results of development a mathematical model for transmission rate allocation downlink technology WiMAX are presented. The novelty of the proposed model is possibility to prevent a limit transmission rate allocated to the service flows of the user stations in the downlink by using the WiMAX technology linear or linearquadratic objective function. Using the mathematical model is directed to allocation between subscriber stations of a time-frequency resource of the downlink, which in turn improves the conditions in the electromagnetic frequency range used. The influence of the priority request rate used in the model is the nature of the possible failure