Recognition of activities of daily living from topic model

Research in ubiquitous and pervasive technologies have made it possible to recognise activities of daily living through non-intrusive sensors. The data captured from these sensors are required to be classified using various machine learning or knowledge driven techniques to infer and recognise activities. The process of discovering the activities and activity-object patterns from the sensors tagged to objects as they are used is critical to recognising the activities. In this paper, we propose a topic model process of discovering activities and activity-object patterns from the interactions of low level state-change sensors. We also develop a recognition and segmentation algorithm to recognise activities and recognise activity boundaries. Experimental results we present validates our framework and shows it is comparable to existing approaches

Patients' Satisfaction with the Quality of Health Services Provided at the Outpatient Department at Al-Shifa Hospital

This study aims to assess the patient's level of satisfaction with health services provided at Outpatients' Department at Al-Shifa Hospital. The design of this study is quantitative, descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional one. Interviewed questionnaire was developed and focused on patient's satisfaction. Probability systematic random sample was used in this study and 450 participants were interviewed with a response rate of 90%. Validity and reliability of the instrument were tested and the total instrument reliability test (Cronbach's Alpha) was 0.91. Five dimensions of patients' satisfaction were considered in this study; namely, access to care, physical environment, patients' expectations, waiting time in addition to information and interaction. The overall patients' level of satisfaction was 63.9%. The patients' expectation dimension reported the highest level of satisfaction (68.1%), while, the waiting time dimension reported

Performance of taste enhancers mixed with cereal bases and evaluation of the most preferred bait composition for Bandicota bengalensis (Gray)

Baiting technique if appropriately applied is the most reliable strategy to control rodent pests. Behavior modifying components may play a significant role in developing the most attractive baits. An attempt was therefore made to investigate the behavior revolutionizing effect of taste enhancers including peanut oil, peanut butter, egg shell and fishmeal, on exploratory approaches of rodents. Precise role of additives and impact of particle size of cereal bases has been discussed aiming to minimize bait shyness, neophobia and development of the most preferred bait combination for effective control of bandicoot rat Bandicota bengalensis.Key words: Bandicota bengalensis, cereals baits, taste enhancers, shyness, neophobia

A partial Lagrangian approach to mathematical models of epidemiology.

This paper analyzes the first integrals and exact solutions of mathematical models of epidemiology via the partial Lagrangian approach by replacing the three first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations by an equivalent system containing one second order equation and a first-order equation. The partial Lagrangian approach is then utilized for the second-order ODE to construct the first integrals of the underlying system.We investigate the SIR and HIV models.We obtain two first integrals for the SIR model with and without demographic growth. For the HIV model without demography, five first integrals are established and two first integrals are deduced for the HIV model with demography. Then we utilize the derived first integrals to construct exact solutions to the models under investigation. The dynamic properties of these models are studied too. Numerical solutions are derived for SIR models by finite difference method and are compared with exact solutions

Defaults & Returns on High Yield Bonds: Analysis through 1999 and Default Outlook for 2000-2002

Full year 1999 was again a mixed performance year for the high yield bond market in the United States but for different reasons than the mixed 1998 performance. Once again, total returns were lackluster, registering just +1.73%. But, unlike last year’s companion negative return spread vs. U.S. ten-year Treasuries, the return spread in 1999 was a positive 10.1%, as yield spreads increased significantly and Treasuries tumbled. And again, new issuance of high yield bonds was impressive, topping $100 billion for the third consecutive year, but aggregate defaults increased dramatically to an all-time record level of over$23 billion (face value). The default rate registered a sizeable increase, topping 4% (4.15%) for the first time since 1991 and significantly above the 1.6% level of one year earlier. Combined with a relatively low recovery rate of below 30 cents on the dollar, the default loss rate was 3.2% in 1999, compared to a historical arithmetic annual average of 1.9%. Despite 1999’s low absolute return, net returns (after deducting losses from defaults, rating migrations and interest rate changes) for the 1978-1999 period continued to show an attractive compounded return spread over U.S. Treasury bonds of close to 3.0% per year (2.96%). This report documents the high yield bond market’s risk and return performance by presenting traditional and mortality default rate statistics and providing a matrix of performance statistics over the relevant periods of the market’s evolution. Our analysis covers the 1971-1999 period for defaults and the 1978-1999 period for returns. In addition, we present our annual forecast of expected defaults for the next three years (2000-2002). Our 1999 forecast was for substantially higher defaults than 1998, but we underestimated the record default levels. Default levels and rates were swelled in 1999 due to a number of factors, including the huge new issuance in the 1997-1999 period, a trend toward earlier defaults, deteriorating credit quality of new issues, pockets of industry fragility, and the continued vestige of 1998’s flight to quality. For 2000, we expect default levels to decline to about $17.5 billion and the default rate to regress to around three percent of the amount outstanding

Quality of Life of Children Receiving Permanent Renal Dialysis in Gaza Strip

This study aims to evaluate the quality of Life in children (ages between 3-16 years) receiving permanent renal dialysis in Gaza strip. The design of this study is case-control. All cases in Gaza strip were included in the study (15cases) and compared with the control group (45 individuals without the disease) that were selected accordance to the cases sex, age, living places, monthly income and the relationship between parents. The study sample was interviewed by the researchers and completed the developed questionnaire, which focused on quality of life and included five domains, these domains are Physical health, Psychological health, Social relationships, Environment health and Personal safety. Validity and reliability of the instrument were tested and the total instrument reliability test (Cronbach's Alpha) was 0.74, while by Split half methods was 0.94. The study revealed statistically significant difference (< 0.001) between cases and control in all study domains except the environmental health domain. The educational achievement deteriorated significantly as a result of impairment of physical health, psychological health and social relationships. Also, the study revealed that the altered levels of serum electrolytes secondary to renal failure and dialysis are responsible for signs and symptoms that the patients experience. The study domains did not show statistically significant difference when compared by sex, age, living places, monthly income and the relationship between parents. The study also revealed that there was a bad need to pay more attention when caring and dealing with dialyzed patients. Special food supplementation should

Emerging Risk Factors for Impaired Lung Function in Chemical Industry Workers of Faisalabad

Objective:&nbsp;To determine the impact, obesity and age on the lung functions determined by PEFR of healthy workers of chemical industries. Methodology:&nbsp; This was a cross sectional study performed at private medical college of Faisalabad. Three days medical camp was arranged during 2nd&nbsp;to 4th&nbsp; September 2020 after taking approval from institutional ethical committee. All relevant information including age, residence and history about chemical exposure were recorded in a structured proforma. Obesity was determined on basis of BMI grading. BMI was calculated from estimated Height and weight &nbsp;&nbsp;PEFR of each participant was determined using Wright’s Peak flow meter.&nbsp; Data was analyzed by SPSS21. Results:&nbsp;Mean± SD age, height and weight of the studied population was 38.85 ± 12.1, 170.07&nbsp; ±12.0&nbsp;&nbsp; and 78.12 ±12.7. lowest PEFR value was found in subjects with age range 61 to 70 years as compred to youger subjects . The mean PEFR value were significantly different&nbsp; with respect to various age catagoeies with &nbsp;p value= 0.000 Highest mean PEFR values were found in&nbsp; taller subjects having height ≥ 180 cm and lowest values were found in subjects with height 150-159 cm,&nbsp; the difference in means was statisticaly significant with p value= 0.05. Morbid&nbsp; obese subjects showing comparatively&nbsp; lower PEFR values in morbid obese&nbsp; with significant p value =0.002. . PEFR was found to be negatively associated with age ( p- value= 0.000*) &nbsp;and BMI( p value =0.001*). Our results also showed weak positive association of PEFR with height, however this relation was not found to be statistically significant (p value= 0.081). Conclusion:&nbsp;Peak expiratory flow rate is negatively associated with increasing BMI and age, reflecting that elderly and obese subjects are more prone to have affected lung function due to exposure to chemical

Emerging Risk Factors for Impaired Lung Function in Chemical Industry Workers of Faisalabad

Objective:&nbsp;To determine the impact, obesity and age on the lung functions determined by PEFR of healthy workers of chemical industries. Methodology:&nbsp; This was a cross sectional study performed at private medical college of Faisalabad. Three days medical camp was arranged during 2nd&nbsp;to 4th&nbsp; September 2020 after taking approval from institutional ethical committee. All relevant information including age, residence and history about chemical exposure were recorded in a structured proforma. Obesity was determined on basis of BMI grading. BMI was calculated from estimated Height and weight &nbsp;&nbsp;PEFR of each participant was determined using Wright’s Peak flow meter.&nbsp; Data was analyzed by SPSS21. Results:&nbsp;Mean± SD age, height and weight of the studied population was 38.85 ± 12.1, 170.07&nbsp; ±12.0&nbsp;&nbsp; and 78.12 ±12.7. lowest PEFR value was found in subjects with age range 61 to 70 years as compred to youger subjects . The mean PEFR value were significantly different&nbsp; with respect to various age catagoeies with &nbsp;p value= 0.000 Highest mean PEFR values were found in&nbsp; taller subjects having height ≥ 180 cm and lowest values were found in subjects with height 150-159 cm,&nbsp; the difference in means was statisticaly significant with p value= 0.05. Morbid&nbsp; obese subjects showing comparatively&nbsp; lower PEFR values in morbid obese&nbsp; with significant p value =0.002. . PEFR was found to be negatively associated with age ( p- value= 0.000*) &nbsp;and BMI( p value =0.001*). Our results also showed weak positive association of PEFR with height, however this relation was not found to be statistically significant (p value= 0.081). Conclusion:&nbsp;Peak expiratory flow rate is negatively associated with increasing BMI and age, reflecting that elderly and obese subjects are more prone to have affected lung function due to exposure to chemical

A hybrid approach to recognising activities of daily living from object use in the home environment

Accurate recognition of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) plays an important role in providing assistance and support to the elderly and cognitively impaired. Current knowledge-driven and ontology-based techniques model object concepts from assumptions and everyday common knowledge of object use for routine activities. Modelling activities from such information can lead to incorrect recognition of particular routine activities resulting in possible failure to detect abnormal activity trends. In cases where such prior knowledge are not available, such techniques become virtually unemployable. A significant step in the recognition of activities is the accurate discovery of the object usage for specific routine activities. This paper presents a hybrid framework for automatic consumption of sensor data and associating object usage to routine activities using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modelling. This process enables the recognition of simple activities of daily living from object usage and interactions in the home environment. The evaluation of the proposed framework on the Kasteren and Ordonez datasets show that it yields better results compared to existing techniques