Detecting The Regime Shift Via Wavelet Transform.

Recently, regime shifts or structure breaks had acquired very high attention in analyzing financial time series data

The Poetic Nature of Titles and the Formation of the Feminine Self in Modern Jordanian Poetry

The study interrogates the titles of poems in the feminine poetic discourse in Jordan. It reveals how the dreamy vision, artistic imagery, and glittering glossary of the feminine poetic discourse in Jordan are formed in cases of loss and union. It does so through exploring the journey of the feminine self in a number of poems by the following Jordanian poetesses: Amina Al-Adwan, Shahla Al-Kayyali, Nabila Al-Khatib, Maha Al-Otoom, Kawthar Al-Zo’bi, Arwa Abutair, and Hikmat Al-Azzeh. The study relies on the analytical and stylistic method, employing its aesthetics and making use of its fertile semantic levels. According to the study, the poems under discussion are dominated by two narrative forms which pervade the female self. The first one is the narrative of memories, represented by memories of the past with a heart-dwelling beloved, where the acts of disclosure and bleeding go hand in hand. The second narrative is the narrative of dreams, in which the feminine self is in a state of infatuation; it, thus, excludes the past and ignores victory for the self, aiming to reach the highest degree of union with the beloved. The study concludes that the poems under discussion are mostly distinguished by their brevity, poetic condensation, and reliance on dialogism. This reinforces the productivity of the dramatic structure and enhances its level of aesthetics. Additionally, the study concludes that the use of action verbs in these poems equips them with a quick embedded rhythm that derives from the poetess’ self and pure soul

The Friedreich ataxia GAA repeat expansion mutation induces comparable epigenetic changes in human and transgenic mouse brain and heart tissues

Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is caused by a homozygous GAA repeat expansion mutation within intron 1 of the FXN gene, leading to reduced expression of frataxin protein. Evidence suggests that the mutation may induce epigenetic changes and heterochromatin formation, thereby impeding gene transcription. In particular, studies using FRDA patient blood and lymphoblastoid cell lines have detected increased DNA methylation of specific CpG sites upstream of the GAA repeat and histone modifications in regions flanking the GAA repeat. In this report we show that such epigenetic changes are also present in FRDA patient brain, cerebellum and heart tissues, the primary affected systems of the disorder. Bisulfite sequence analysis of the FXN flanking GAA regions reveals a shift in the FRDA DNA methylation profile, with upstream CpG sites becoming consistently hypermethylated and downstream CpG sites becoming consistently hypomethylated. We also identify differential DNA methylation at three specific CpG sites within the FXN promoter and one CpG site within exon 1. Furthermore, we show by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis that there is overall decreased histone H3K9 acetylation together with increased H3K9 methylation of FRDA brain tissue. Further studies of brain, cerebellum and heart tissues from our GAA repeat expansion-containing FRDA YAC transgenic mice reveal comparable epigenetic changes to those detected in FRDA patient tissue. We have thus developed a mouse model that will be a valuable resource for future therapeutic studies targeting epigenetic modifications of the FXN gene to increase frataxin expression

Stress intensity factors for surface cracks in round bar under single and combined loadings

This paper numerically discusses stress in-tensity factor (SIF) calculations for surface cracks in round bars subjected to single and combined loadings. Different crack aspect ratios, a/b, ranging from 0.0 to 1.2 and the relative crack depth, a/D, in the range of 0.1 to 0.6 are considered. Since the torsion loading is non-symmetrical, the whole finite element model has been constructed, and the loadings have been remotely applied to the model. The equivalent SIF, F∗EQ is then used to combine the individual SIF from the bending or tension with torsion loadings. Then, it is compared with the combined SIF, F∗FE obtained numerically using the finite element analysis under similar loadings. It is found that the equivalent SIF method successfully predicts the combined SIF, F∗EQ for Mode I when compared with F∗FE . However, some discrepancies between the results, determined from the two different approaches, occur when FIII is involved. Meanwhile, it is also noted that the F∗FE is higher than the F∗EQ due to the difference in crack face interactions and de-formations

A Study Of Structure Breaks In Amman Stocks Market By Using Wavelet Transform.

Regime shifts or structure breaks acquire very high attention in analyzing financial time series data

Paper and electronic versions of HM-PRO, a novel patient-reported outcome measure for hematology: an equivalence study.

© 2019 Goswami, Oliva, Ionova et al.Aim:To determine measurement equivalence of paper and electronic application of the hematologi-cal malignancy-patient-reported outcome (HM-PRO), a specific measure for the evaluation of patient-reported outcomes in HMs.Patients & methods:Following International Society of Pharmacoeconomicsand Outcomes Research ePRO Good Research Practice Task Force guidelines, a total of 193 adult patientswith different HMs were recruited into a multicenter prospective study. The paper and the electronic ver-sion of the instrument were completed in the outpatient clinics in a randomized crossover design with a30-min time interval to minimize the learning effect. Those who completed the paper version first, com-pleted the electronic version after 30 min and vice versa. Instrument version and order effects were testedon total score of the two parts of the HM-PRO (Part A: quality of life and Part B: signs & symptoms) in atwo-way ANOVA with patients as random effects. Intraclass correlation coefficients (95% CI) and Spear-man’s rank correlation coefficients were used to evaluate test–retest reliability and reproducibility. Theeffects of instrument version and order were tested on total score of the two parts of HM-PRO.Results:The questionnaire version and administration order effects were not significant at the 5% level. Therewere no interactions found between these two factors for HM-PRO (Part A [quality of life]; p=0.95); and(part B [signs and symptoms]; p=0.72]. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were greater than 0.9, andintraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.94 to 0.98; furthermore, the scores were not statisticallydifferent between the two versions, showing acceptable reliability indexes. Noteworthy, the differencebetween the completion time for both paper (mean=6:38 min) and electronic version (mean=7:29 min)was not statistically significant (n=100; p=0.11). Patients did not report any difficulty in completing theelectronic version during cognitive interviews and were able to understand and respond spontaneously.Conclusion:Measurement equivalence has been demonstrated for the paper and electronic applicationof the HM-PRO.Peer reviewe

Development of Metal Matrix Composites and Related Forming Techniques by Direct Recycling of Light Metals: A Review

In this contribution, researchers have provided a summary of the agricultural and industrial waste recoveries to be deployed as the composite reinforced materials. It covers the work of previous researchers related to this area and addressed the key challenge to overcome for further development and advancement. The major contributions of this work were a comprehensive review on a wide variety of Sever Plastic Deformation (SPD) techniques implementation in development of the waste materials based reinforced metal matrix composite. The waste materials can be derived from either industrial or natural sources. Also, it discusses the range of Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) applications in engineering and related manufacturing techniques with further emphasized on the process parameters which directly determine the material properties. Some useful suggestions were proposed to the industrialists, academicians and scientists to further improve the performance aspect of Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) for commercialization reason. Furthermore, industrial and natural waste enhancement materials have been strongly proposed because of their higher reinforced content particulates such as alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2). Also, the mechanical and physical properties are directly influenced by the size, shape and weight-volume friction of the composites as same as the potential reactions between matrixes/reinforced materials interfac

Indoor air concentration from selective laser sintering 3d printer using Virgin Polyamide Nylon (PA12) Powder: a pilot study

Environmental emissions from additive manufacturing (AM) have attracted much attention recently. The capability in fabricating complex part make AM famous in developing prototype and product in various industries, especially in aerospace, medical, automotive, and manufacturing industries. However, the study on emission and exposure mainly focusses on the desktop type such as fused deposition modelling. This study investigates the emission and indoor concentration from powder bed fusion of selective laser sintering (SLS) technologies. Prior to the investigation, virgin PA12 has undergone characterization in terms of morphology, size and thermal analysis. Calibration block using virgin polyamide nylon (PA12) is selected to be printed in this study. Parameters such particulate matter size 2.5 μm (PM 2.5), total volatile organic compound (TVOC), carbon dioxide (CO2), formaldehyde, temperature and relative humidity (RH) are set to be monitored through real-time sampling of 8 hours based on Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality 2010 by Department Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Malaysia. Four phases of the printing process involve are background data, preprinting, during printing and post-printing. Based on the study it was found that PM 2.5 and CO2 exceed the acceptable limit recommended by DOSH Malaysia during the preparation of powder (preprinting) at 1218 ppm and 1070 μg/m3 respectively. Meanwhile TVOC concentration was influenced by the sintered powder temperature and recorded at 0.5 ppm. Temperature, relative humidity and formaldehyde were maintained throughout the SLS process. Mitigation strategies using mechanical ventilation and personal protective equipment (PPE) are recommended to be used to reduce the potential of occupational hazard to the operators

Intelligent Optimization Systems for MaintenanceScheduling of Power Plant Generators

This paper presents a Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Ant-Colony (AC) optimization model for power plant generators’ maintenance scheduling. Maintenance scheduling of power plant generators is essential for ensuring the reliability and economic operation of a power system. Proper maintenance scheduling prolongs the shelf life of the generators and prevents unexpected failures. To reduce the cost and duration of generator maintenance, these models are built with various constants, fitness functions, and objective functions. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a decision-making tool, is implemented to aid the researcher in prioritizing and re-ranking the maintenance activities from the most important to the least. The intelligent optimization models are developed using MATLAB and the developed intelligent algorithms are tested on a case study in a coal power plant located at minjung, Perak, Malaysia. The power plant is owned and operated by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the electric utility company in peninsular Malaysia. The results show that GA outperforms ACO since it reduces maintenance costs by 39.78% and maintenance duration by 60%. The study demonstrates that the proposed optimization method is effective in reducing maintenance time and cost while also optimizing power plant operation

Propagation Measurement on Earth-Sky Signal Effects for High Speed Train Satellite Channel in Tropical Region at Ku-Band

Recent advances in satellite communication technologies in the tropical regions have led to significant increase in the demand for services and applications that require high channel quality for mobile satellite terminals. Determination and quantification of these requirements are important to optimize service quality, particularly in the Malaysian region. Moreover, the tests on current satellite propagation models were carried out at temperate regions whose environmental characteristics are much different from those in Malaysia. This difference renders these propagation models inapplicable and irrelevant to tropical regions in general. This paper presents the link characteristics observations and performance analysis with propagation measurements done in tropical region to provide an accurate database regarding rain and power arches supply (PAs) attenuations in the tropics for mobile scenarios. Hence, an extension for improving the performance assessment and analysis of satellite/transmission has been achieved. The Malaysia propagation measurement for mobile scenario (Malaysia-PMMS) enables first-hand coarse estimation and attenuation analysis, because the attenuation resulting from rain and PAs becomes easily amenable for measurement. Parallel to that, the measured attenuation has been compared with that of the simulated output at noise floor level. The underlying analytical tool is validated by measurements specific at tropical region, for dynamic model of mobile satellite links operating at higher than 10 GHz