48 research outputs found

    Using Space Syntax Technique to Enhance Visual Connectivity in Hospitals

    Get PDF
    The design of healthcare buildings as hospitals is a rather complex architectural task and is being considered as projects of high cost, but indispensable, given their role in preserving human health. The sustainability of services offered by healthcare projects is a paramount necessity for human societies; therefore, in addition to architectural standards applied in a design process, new tools are introduced by the space syntax community in the form of specified programs to provide an advanced method of assessing the effectiveness of any design configuration. This research aims to evaluate the effect of applying the software of (Depthmap X) on a selected new hospital design to measure the nature of visual communication between the different wards of the most active floor (the ground floor) and the connectivity of various kinetic systems of the ground floor with the main entrances. The paper identifies the efficiency of the hospital performances in terms of visual connectivity. It also shows that a slight change made in the hospital configuration in the design alternatives could lead to a significant impact on the visual relationship between the hospital domains

    On the Selection of Power Transformation Parameters in Regression Analysis

    Get PDF
    In multiple linear regression, there are several classical methods used to estimate the parameters of power transformation models that are used to transform the response variable. Traditionally, these parameters can be estimated using either Maximum Likelihood Estimation or Bayesian methods in conjunction with the other model parameters. In this chapter, attention has been paid to four indicators of the efficiency and reliability of the regressive modeling, and study the possibility of considering them as decision rules through which the optimal power parameter can be chosen. The indicators are the coefficient of determination and p-value of the general linear F-test statistic. Also, the p-value of Shapiro-Wilk test (SWT) statistic for the residual’s normality of the estimated linear regression of the transformed response vector and the estimated nonlinear regression of the original response vector resulting from the back transform of the power Transformation model. Real data were used and a computational algorithm was proposed to estimate the optimal power parameter. The authors concluded that the multiplicity of indicators does not lead to obtaining an optimal single value for the power parameter, but this multiplicity may be useful in fortifying the decision-making ability

    A cluster randomised controlled trial of the community effectiveness of two interventions in rural Malawi to improve health care and to reduce maternal, newborn and infant mortality

    Get PDF
    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The UN Millennium Development Goals call for substantial reductions in maternal and child mortality, to be achieved through reductions in morbidity and mortality during pregnancy, delivery, postpartum and early childhood. The MaiMwana Project aims to test community-based interventions that tackle maternal and child health problems through increasing awareness and local action.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This study uses a two-by-two factorial cluster-randomised controlled trial design to test the impact of two interventions. The impact of a community mobilisation intervention run through women's groups, on home care, health care-seeking behaviours and maternal and infant mortality, will be tested. The impact of a volunteer-led infant feeding and care support intervention, on rates of exclusive breastfeeding, uptake of HIV-prevention services and infant mortality, will also be tested. The women's group intervention will employ local female facilitators to guide women's groups through a four-phase cycle of problem identification and prioritisation, strategy identification, implementation and evaluation. Meetings will be held monthly at village level. The infant feeding intervention will select local volunteers to provide advice and support for breastfeeding, birth preparedness, newborn care and immunisation. They will visit pregnant and new mothers in their homes five times during and after pregnancy.</p> <p>The unit of intervention allocation will be clusters of rural villages of 2500-4000 population. 48 clusters have been defined and randomly allocated to either women's groups only, infant feeding support only, both interventions, or no intervention. Study villages are surrounded by 'buffer areas' of non-study villages to reduce contamination between intervention and control areas. Outcome indicators will be measured through a demographic surveillance system. Primary outcomes will be maternal, infant, neonatal and perinatal mortality for the women's group intervention, and exclusive breastfeeding rates and infant mortality for the infant feeding intervention.</p> <p>Structured interviews will be conducted with mothers one-month and six-months after birth to collect detailed quantitative data on care practices and health-care-seeking. Further qualitative, quantitative and economic data will be collected for process and economic evaluations.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ISRCTN06477126</p

    Privacy enhancing technologies (PETs) for connected vehicles in smart cities

    Get PDF
    This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Wiley in Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies, available online: https://doi.org/10.1002/ett.4173 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Many Experts believe that the Internet of Things (IoT) is a new revolution in technology that has brought many benefits for our organizations, businesses, and industries. However, information security and privacy protection are important challenges particularly for smart vehicles in smart cities that have attracted the attention of experts in this domain. Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) endeavor to mitigate the risk of privacy invasions, but the literature lacks a thorough review of the approaches and techniques that support individuals' privacy in the connection between smart vehicles and smart cities. This gap has stimulated us to conduct this research with the main goal of reviewing recent privacy-enhancing technologies, approaches, taxonomy, challenges, and solutions on the application of PETs for smart vehicles in smart cities. The significant aspect of this study originates from the inclusion of data-oriented and process-oriented privacy protection. This research also identifies limitations of existing PETs, complementary technologies, and potential research directions.Published onlin

    The Role of YAP and TAZ in Angiogenesis and Vascular Mimicry

    No full text
    Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is a physiological process that begins in utero and continues throughout life in both good health and disease. Understanding the underlying mechanism in angiogenesis could uncover a new therapeutic approach in pathological angiogenesis. Since its discovery, the Hippo signaling pathway has emerged as a key player in controlling organ size and tissue homeostasis. Recently, new studies have discovered that Hippo and two of its main effectors, Yes-associated protein (YAP) and its paralog transcription activator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ), play critical roles during angiogenesis. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms by which YAP/TAZ regulate endothelial cell shape, behavior, and function in angiogenesis. We further discuss how YAP/TAZ function as part of developmental and pathological angiogenesis. Finally, we review the role of YAP/TAZ in tumor vascular mimicry and propose directions for future work

    The Role of YAP and TAZ in Angiogenesis and Vascular Mimicry

    No full text
    Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is a physiological process that begins in utero and continues throughout life in both good health and disease. Understanding the underlying mechanism in angiogenesis could uncover a new therapeutic approach in pathological angiogenesis. Since its discovery, the Hippo signaling pathway has emerged as a key player in controlling organ size and tissue homeostasis. Recently, new studies have discovered that Hippo and two of its main effectors, Yes-associated protein (YAP) and its paralog transcription activator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ), play critical roles during angiogenesis. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms by which YAP/TAZ regulate endothelial cell shape, behavior, and function in angiogenesis. We further discuss how YAP/TAZ function as part of developmental and pathological angiogenesis. Finally, we review the role of YAP/TAZ in tumor vascular mimicry and propose directions for future work

    Assessing the habitability of single-family houses in Iraq a case study in Sulaimaniya city

    Get PDF
    A residence strongly influences the lifestyle of its occupants and may be a determining factor for the family's quality of life. To maintain the comfort and well-being of its occupants, each dwelling should be adequate for the household. The dwelling should therefore provide a habitable and comfortable environment. Housing space standards in many countries set the conditions for achieving these objectives and generally regulate the overall sizes of individual rooms in addition to the layouts of dwellings. This paper seeks to explore the relationship between habitable area ratios and other component area ratios, such as the structure area, the service area, the circulation area and the open space area, in the context of Iraqi single-family houses. Therefore, this study aims to answer two key questions: Is the habitable area ratio among other ratios compatible with Iraqi housing standards? And does it affect the performance of the units? To this end, the paper adopted a methodology for calculating each area ratio in several newly established complexes in Sulaimaniya City and their relationship to the size of different plot areas for assessing the habitability and efficiency of different house plot areas

    COVIDSpread: real-time prediction of COVID-19 spread based on time-series modelling

    No full text
    A substantial amount of data about the COVID-19 pandemic is generated every day. Yet, data streaming, while considerably visualized, is not accompanied with modelling techniques to provide real-time insights. This study introduces a unified platform, COVIDSpread, which integrates visualization capabilities with advanced statistical methods for predicting the virus spread in the short run, using real-time data. The platform uses time series models to capture any possible non-linearity in the data. COVIDSpread enables lay users, and experts, to examine the data and develop several customized models with different restrictions such as models developed for a specific time window of the data. COVIDSpread is available here: http://vafaeelab.com/COVID19TS.html

    Enhancing Algorithm Selection through Comprehensive Performance Evaluation: Statistical Analysis of Stochastic Algorithms

    No full text
    Analyzing stochastic algorithms for comprehensive performance and comparison across diverse contexts is essential. By evaluating and adjusting algorithm effectiveness across a wide spectrum of test functions, including both classical benchmarks and CEC-C06 2019 conference functions, distinct patterns of performance emerge. In specific situations, underscoring the importance of choosing algorithms contextually. Additionally, researchers have encountered a critical issue by employing a statistical model randomly to determine significance values without conducting other studies to select a specific model for evaluating performance outcomes. To address this concern, this study employs rigorous statistical testing to underscore substantial performance variations between pairs of algorithms, thereby emphasizing the pivotal role of statistical significance in comparative analysis. It also yields valuable insights into the suitability of algorithms for various optimization challenges, providing professionals with information to make informed decisions. This is achieved by pinpointing algorithm pairs with favorable statistical distributions, facilitating practical algorithm selection. The study encompasses multiple nonparametric statistical hypothesis models, such as the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, single-factor analysis, and two-factor ANOVA tests. This thorough evaluation enhances our grasp of algorithm performance across various evaluation criteria. Notably, the research addresses discrepancies in previous statistical test findings in algorithm comparisons, enhancing result reliability in the later research. The results proved that there are differences in significance results, as seen in examples like Leo versus the FDO, the DA versus the WOA, and so on. It highlights the need to tailor test models to specific scenarios, as p-value outcomes differ among various tests within the same algorithm pair
    corecore