Analysis and application of minimum variance discrete time system identification

An on-line minimum variance parameter identifier is developed which embodies both accuracy and computational efficiency. The formulation results in a linear estimation problem with both additive and multiplicative noise. The resulting filter which utilizes both the covariance of the parameter vector itself and the covariance of the error in identification is proven to be mean square convergent and mean square consistent. The MV parameter identification scheme is then used to construct a stable state and parameter estimation algorithm

Analysis and application of minimum variance discrete time system identification

An on-line minimum variance parameter identifier was developed which embodies both accuracy and computational efficiency. The new formulation resulted in a linear estimation problem with both additive and multiplicative noise. The resulting filter is shown to utilize both the covariance of the parameter vector itself and the covariance of the error in identification. It is proven that the identification filter is mean square covergent and mean square consistent. The MV parameter identification scheme is then used to construct a stable state and parameter estimation algorithm

A Position Paper on What is Supply

Supply is an important topic which needs to be well researched for providing insight about the needed characteristics for fulfilling the customer supply needs. Researched topics are mainly focused on specific features of supply. This research is aimed at providing an understanding of the supply characteristics relevant to the 21st century. In order to understand these characteristics, journal articles relevant to the topic were researched and analysed. The study resulted in collating a supply definition which incorporates the various views of supply identified in the research. The study also proposed a hypothetical supply model that supports the new definition. Having a clear understanding of what is supply in the 21st century is crucial in order to be able to fulfill the customer needs. The world is changing and the importance of sensing and responding to customer requirements is becoming crucial. Sourced supplies will need to meet the evolving supply requirements which include things such as minimum impact on the environment. It is these supply characteristics which will decide if future supplies are going to meet the customer requirements

Digital adaptive flight controller development

A design study of adaptive control logic suitable for implementation in modern airborne digital flight computers was conducted. Two designs are described for an example aircraft. Each of these designs uses a weighted least squares procedure to identify parameters defining the dynamics of the aircraft. The two designs differ in the way in which control law parameters are determined. One uses the solution of an optimal linear regulator problem to determine these parameters while the other uses a procedure called single stage optimization. Extensive simulation results and analysis leading to the designs are presented

Influence of Psycho-social Support on Stakeholder Engagement in Lebanon’s School Community

Psycho-social Support (PSS) is a practical approach to improve people's well-being affected by humanitarian crises. However, empirical research on how it can improve engagement within academic settings is still limited. To address this gap, the current study investigates the impact of the PSS Program in improving the stakeholders' engagement within the school community in Lebanon by implementing counseling and supportive activities or services. The study selected a mixed research design and a cross-sectional survey to answer the research questions and to test the hypotheses. In April 2021, a sample of 446 respondents was selected from among the school stakeholders in Lebanon using the convenience and purposive sampling techniques. Data collected was coded, cleaned, and entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. The study confirmed that PSS significantly influences stakeholder engagement that lead into stakeholder belongingness, and quality and equity of education. Based on the outcomes, the researcher recommended adopting the PSS program to better the quality of education and assist administrations with more details that improve stakeholder engagement in their schools. The study also shows best practices in the utilization of the PSS to inspire stakeholder engagement during emergencies. Findings are necessary to the ministry of education, school administrators, students, parents, and researchers interested in using PSS in school settings

A comparison of supply integration and end-to-end communication theory and practice - an Australian perspective

The concept of supply chain integration and end-to-end communication are well established in supply chain theory. Typically, because of the depth of publications, an axiom has developed that all supply networks are fully integrated and have end-toend communication protocols. Recent research into Australian supply networks has highlighted a somewhat different scenario, where many networks are fragmented and lack the connectivity that would be expected. This paper offers a comparison of theoretical supply chain management and the actual practices found in Australian businesses. As a result of this grass root research, a scenario is offered that suggest there is a significant gap between the theory and practice of supply integration and communication that in turn, generate risk in these supply networks

Effect of Cubist concepts on 20th century architecture

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1991.Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-83).The discourse of architecture has been greatly affected by the revolutionary ideologies introduced by the rise of Cubism earlier in this century. Cubism had an impact on all the arts; there was a particular affinity between the ideas of construction in Cubism and those of architecture resulting in a closer relationship between art and architecture in this century than in preceding centuries. Three of the four architects discussed in this thesis have had explicit interest in the visual arts; Le Corbusier himself was an established artist. Examining this twentieth century phenomenon has been the task of this thesis, and in particular the concept of layering found in Cubist works and its influence in the formation of new devices of spatial expression. Devices, such as fragmentation, motion and multiple interpretations found in Cubist layering were incentives for architects to investigate the application of the concepts in architecture. I suggest that the fusion of the concept of layering with that of space resulted in a new concept, "spatial layering". Some architectural examples dating after the period following the first war are examined for evidence of these influences, and relationships between them are discussed. Finally, conclusions are proposed regarding the characteristics of the concept of spatial layering as a continuing paradigm of space in architecture.Basel Kotob.M.S

CORN SILK OFFERS MULTIMECHANISTIC APPROACHES IN MITIGATING OBESITY IN RODENTS

ABSTRACTObjective: The current study aimed to investigate the effect of corn silk extracts (aqueous and methanolic) against obesity in an animal model.Methods: Animals were fed high-cholesterol diet (HCD) for 12 W to induce obesity and then treated either with Orlistat, corn silk extracts (aqueous andmethanolic) for 6 W. Anthropometric measurements (abdominal circumference [AC], thoracic circumference [TC], and body mass index [BMI]) wererecorded. Biochemical parameters including lipid profile (serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, andlipase), glucose, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of basal insulin resistance were assayed. Inflammatory cytokines visfatin, haptoglobin(Hp), afamin, endothelin-1, calprotectin, and protein S100B levels were quantified.Results: Significant decrease in TC, AC, and BMI was detected in HCD-fed groups treated with corn silk extracts with respect to HCD-fed group.Biochemical analyses indicated marked hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects of corn silk extracts. Treatment of HCD-fed groups with corn silkextracts experienced significant regression of visfatin, Hp, endothelin-1, calprotectin, and protein S100B levels relative to HCD-fed group.Conclusion: In conclusion, the current findings revealed the antiobesity potential of corn silk extracts. This effect may be attributed to its hypolipidemic,hypoglycemic, and anti-inflammatory properties of the active phytochemicals present in the extracts.Keywords: Obesity, Corn silk, Insulin resistance, Hyperlipidemia, Inflammation, Rodents

Differentiated Instruction: The Effect on Learner’s Achievement in Kindergarten

Identifying an effective instructional strategy to help diverse learners reach their full potentials is a goal for educators. Differentiated instruction has received much attention as a possible strategy. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the effect of incorporating differentiated instructional practices on students’ achievement in the kindergarten classes. In this action research, the researcher sought to answer the following research question: Does incorporating differentiated instructional practices leads to significant increase in students’ achievement in the kindergarten classes? Two kindergarten classes with 38 students and 2 teachers participated in the study; one was assigned to an experimental group who received differentiated instructional strategies for 3 weeks and the other one to the control group who received traditional teaching practices. Data was collected, analyzed and compared using SPSS and independent sample t-test. Results revealed that there was no significant difference in student achievement results between the differentiated and non-differentiated classrooms. Findings of this study highlight the necessity for further explorations on the effect of differentiated instructional practices on achievement results in the kindergarten classrooms

Redefining learning environments in conflict areas : a Palestinian case study

Thesis (S.M. in Architecture Studies)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-173).This thesis is an exploration of learning environments in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) as administered by private, refugee and public school systems. In considering the insularity of learning environments in the OPT, this thesis finds that despite increased school construction since 1994, public and refugee student drop-out rates have increased, enrollment rates have decreased, academic achievement is low, and students suffer from stress. It is hypothesized that if schools are conceptualized as part of a broader learning environment, then the socio-spatial issues impacting student success may be improved. To test this hypothesis, learning environments in the OPT are examined with a two-fold methodology: historical and architectural. The two-fold analysis utilizes a conceptual framework, where child, building, neighborhood context, and education system, are understood as the four components of a learning environment. The historical analysis is framed from the Late-Ottoman era until today and follows changing theories of education in parallel with the changing relationship between schools and the socio-spatial reality of the conflict. Results from the historical analysis indicate that educational institutions often cannot operate during times of crisis, leading local family and teacher networks to develop informal education systems in unconventional spaces. It is determined that learning environments must be able to adapt to the conflict and must embrace local communities as architectural, spatial, and social resources. This finding serves as a critical foundation for the architectural analysis. The architectural analysis uses data collected from field work at 24 schools in the West Bank in August of 2012 through informal interviews with locals, photography, and journaling. The data reveal that the socio-spatial contexts of each school are unique due in part to divisions of the land. In order to limit the number of variables, special focus was given to three schools in Ramallah, which is a unique enclave that encompasses within it the socio-spatial realities of other enclaves in the West Bank. Taking from the lessons of each school system, it is concluded that new learning environments in the Occupied Palestinian Territories must positively respond to the bleak structures of the occupation by becoming programmatically diverse, architecturally innovative, and spatially integrated in order to create new and less insular cultural centers of which the students and communities can be proud. This thesis concludes with recommendations for educationalists, architects and development professionals that stem from revelations in the historical analysis and results from the architectural analysis. Learning environments must span outwards allowing for an expansion of school resources, a broadening of learning experiences for youth, and the unification of Palestinians in order to improve the socio-spatial disorder of the occupation.by Jenine Kotob.S.M.in Architecture Studie