Discrete and hybrid methods for the diagnosis of distributed systems

Many important activities of modern society rely on the proper functioning of complex systems such as electricity networks, telecommunication networks, manufacturing plants and aircrafts. The supervision of such systems must include strong diagnosis capability to be able to effectively detect the occurrence of faults and ensure appropriate corrective measures can be taken in order to recover from the faults or prevent total failure. This thesis addresses issues in the diagnosis of large complex systems. Such systems are usually distributed in nature, i.e. they consist of many interconnected components each having their own local behaviour. These components interact together to produce an emergent global behaviour that is complex. As those systems increase in complexity and size, their diagnosis becomes increasingly challenging. In the first part of this thesis, a method is proposed for diagnosis on distributed systems that avoids a monolithic global computation. The method, based on converting the graph of the system into a junction tree, takes into account the topology of the system in choosing how to merge local diagnoses on the components while still obtaining a globally consistent result. The method is shown to work well for systems with tree or near-tree structures. This method is further extended to handle systems with high clustering by selectively ignoring some connections that would still allow an accurate diagnosis to be obtained. A hybrid system approach is explored in the second part of the thesis, where continuous dynamics information on the system is also retained to help better isolate or identify faults. A hybrid system framework is presented that models both continuous dynamics and discrete evolution in dynamical systems, based on detecting changes in the fundamental governing dynamics of the system rather than on residual estimation. This makes it possible to handle systems that might not be well characterised and where parameter drift is present. The discrete aspect of the hybrid system model is used to derive diagnosability conditions using indicator functions for the detection and isolation of multiple, arbitrary sequential or simultaneous events in hybrid dynamical networks. Issues with diagnosis in the presence of uncertainty in measurements due sensor or actuator noise are addressed. Faults may generate symptoms that are in the same order of magnitude as the latter. The use of statistical techniques,within a hybrid system framework, is proposed to detect these elusive fault symptoms and translate this information into probabilities for the actual operational mode and possibility of transition between modes which makes it possible to apply probabilistic analysis on the system to handle the underlying uncertainty present

Influential Article Review - Creation and validation of the Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices

This paper examines education. We present insights from a highly influential paper. Here are the highlights from this paper: The Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) is a widely used measure of general intelligence (g), both across settings and cultures. Due to its lengthy 40-min administration time, several researchers have developed short-form scales, yet these forms typically yield a significantly lower reliability. This article describes the creation of an 18-item short form (APM-18) and its validation in three samples of Southwestern U.S. university students (total N = 633). The APM-18 shows similar psychometric properties to both the previously published 36-item long form and 12-item short form, but retains a reliability estimate closer to the original APM. This, plus the shorter administration time (25 min) relative to the complete APM (40-60 min), makes it useful for time-constrained or mass-testing situations. For our overseas readers, we then present the insights from this paper in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German

We the People? An Analysis of the Dana Corporation Policies Document

Companies are increasingly using written ethical codes to communicate their prin ciples and practices; however, there have been few attempts to examine the complex lan guage decisions the composers of such documents are likely to face in their attempt to "manage" the differing expectations of their readers. To reveal some of the rhetorical concerns that arise in constructing a code that is truly affiliative and inclusive of the readership and yet reflective of the goals of the corporation itself, this study focuses on the Dana Corporation's code. Using the standard linguistic technique of substitution to examine possible alternatives, especially the ways in which Dana refers to itself and its employees, brings to light some of the subtle rhetorical decisions that composers of ethi cal codes need to negotiate.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69002/2/10.1177_002194369002700305.pd

ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTIC FEATURES IN IGBO TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE SONGS: A FUNCTIONALIST APPROACH

The goals of the study are to examine the language and the linguistic features of Igbo traditional marriage songs and also to show the relevance of these songs in the lives of the Igbo people. A qualitative research design is used in this study. The Data of the study were gathered through library and fieldwork. In order to construct a working theoretical framework, journal articles, dissertations, and thesis were consulted. The researchers acquired data from the fieldwork through oral interviews, observation, and participation in traditional marriage rites in various regions of Igbo territory. The functionalist theory is used in analysing the data. The methods of data analysis showcased that these data were translated into English from Igbo. Equally, notes generated during the interview, observation, and participation were analysed descriptively. The study finds out that women use marriage songs to express their anxieties, worry, and uneasiness about venturing into the marriage. The study also reveals the joyous and happy occasion of Igbo traditional marriage. Also, Igbo thoughts are revealed in the joyful mood and dismal ambience established in some of their songs. The study also finds out that women use marriage songs to comment on the intricacies of reality in the married venture. The findings of the study finally show that Igbo marriage songs contain imagery, repetitions, humour, alliteration, satire, and allusion. These are linguistic features deliberately crafted to teach the bride and groom Igbo societal expectations from them.&nbsp

ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTIC FEATURES IN IGBO TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE SONGS: A FUNCTIONALIST APPROACH

The goals of the study are to examine the language and the linguistic features of Igbo traditional marriage songs and also to show the relevance of these songs in the lives of the Igbo people. A qualitative research design is used in this study. The Data of the study were gathered through library and fieldwork. In order to construct a working theoretical framework, journal articles, dissertations, and thesis were consulted. The researchers acquired data from the fieldwork through oral interviews, observation, and participation in traditional marriage rites in various regions of Igbo territory. The functionalist theory is used in analysing the data. The methods of data analysis showcased that these data were translated into English from Igbo. Equally, notes generated during the interview, observation, and participation were analysed descriptively. The study finds out that women use marriage songs to express their anxieties, worry, and uneasiness about venturing into the marriage. The study also reveals the joyous and happy occasion of Igbo traditional marriage. Also, Igbo thoughts are revealed in the joyful mood and dismal ambience established in some of their songs. The study also finds out that women use marriage songs to comment on the intricacies of reality in the married venture. The findings of the study finally show that Igbo marriage songs contain imagery, repetitions, humour, alliteration, satire, and allusion. These are linguistic features deliberately crafted to teach the bride and groom Igbo societal expectations from them.&nbsp

Evaluation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Transarterial Chemoembolization using Quantitative Analysis of 2D and 3D Real-time Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound.

Quantitative 2D and 3D contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was assessed to evaluate early transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment response. Seventeen patients scheduled for TACE for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma participated in the study. 2D and 3D CEUS were performed for each patient at three time points: Prior to TACE, 1-2 weeks post TACE, and 1 month post TACE. Peak-intensities of the tumor and surrounding liver tissue were calculated from 2D and 3D data before and after TACE and used to evaluate tumor treatment response. Residual tumor percentages were calculated from 2D and 3D CEUS acquired 1-2 weeks and 1 month post TACE and compared with results from MRI 1 month post TACE. Nine subjects had complete response while 8 had incomplete response. Peak-intensities of the tumor from 3D CEUS prior to TACE were similar between the complete and incomplete treatment groups (p = 0.70), while 1-2 weeks (p \u3c 0.01) and 1 month post treatment (p \u3c 0.01) were significantly lower in the complete treatment group than in the incomplete treatment group. For 2D CEUS, only the peak-intensity values of the tumor from 1 month post TACE were significantly different (p \u3c 0.01). The correlation coefficients between 2D and 3D residual tumor estimates 1-2 weeks post TACE and the estimates from MRI were 0.73 and 0.94, respectively, while those from 2D and 3D CEUS 1 month post TACE were 0.66 and 0.91, respectively. Quantitative analysis on 2D and 3D CEUS shows potential to differentiate patients with complete versus incomplete response to TACE as early as 1-2 weeks post treatment

Depletion of B-cells with rituximab improves endothelial function and reduces inflammation among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

BackgroundIndividuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, partly due to systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. B-cells play an important pathogenic role in the inflammatory process that drives RA disease activity. Rituximab, a chimeric murine/human monoclonal antibody that depletes B-cells, is an effective therapy for RA. The purpose of this study was to determine whether B-cell depletion with rituximab reduces systemic inflammation and improves macrovascular (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, FMD) and microvascular (reactive hyperemia) endothelial function in RA patients.Methods and resultsRA patients received a single course of rituximab (1000 mg IV infusion at baseline and on day 15). FMD, reactive hyperemia, inflammatory markers, and clinical assessments were performed at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Twenty patients (95% female, median age 54 years) completed the study. Following treatment, FMD improved from a baseline of 4.5±0.4% to 6.4±0.6% at 12 weeks (mean±SE; P<0.0001), followed by a decline at week 24; a similar pattern was observed for hyperemic velocity. Significant decreases in RA disease scores, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and circulating CD19+ B-cells were sustained through week 24. Cholesterol and triglycerides became significantly although modestly elevated during the study.ConclusionsDepletion of B-cells with rituximab improved macrovascular and microvascular endothelial function and reduced systemic inflammation, despite modest elevation in lipids. Given these results, rituximab should be evaluated in the future for its possible role in reducing excess cardiovascular risk in RA.Clinical trial registrationURL http://ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00844714

Aligning the Language Criteria of a Group Oral Test to the CEFR: The Case of a Formal Meeting Assessment in an English for Occupational Purposes Classroom

The Malaysian Education Blueprint (MEB) 2015-2025 has set in motion efforts from all stages of education to align programs, courses, and syllabuses to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) benchmark. This exercise has brought on major revamps in all aspects of English language education in the nation. This study will present such an undertaking in a public university in Malaysia and detail how the language criteria for an oral group test of an English for Occupational Purposes course have been aligned to the stipulated CEFR level. The actual assessment task involved groups of four or five students conducting a meeting of their established company. Data for the study came from an analysis of the audio recordings of nine group meetings, along with post-assessment interviews and focus group discussions involving three EOP instructors. Based on the data analysis, this study recommends a revised set of language criteria for the assessment. Furthermore, it demonstrates how an alignment of the scoring criteria with the descriptors of the targeted CEFR scale can be achieved through a systematic comparison of the language functions (LFs) produced in the meeting task to the targeted CEFR descriptor scales. The revised language component for the meeting assessment could help ease instructors’ assessment of students interactional skills and allow them to gauge better their students’ attainment of the skills required in a formal meeting context

Fish passage system in an irrigation dam (Pilcomayo River basin): When engineering designs do not match ecohydraulic criteria.

The Route 28 Dam has the potential to block fish movements from La Estrella marsh to the Pilcomayo River. In addition, themany fish that concentrate immediately downstream of the dam may suffer high mortality when they are stranded duringlow water periods. The goals of this study are to determine if fish are able to pass the spillway and to assess if the designof the installed ladders (pool and weir type) effectively supports upstream migration of Prochilodus lineatus (sábalo).Results showed that only fish longer than 39 cm should be able to ascend the spillway chute, but when water levels on thespillway crest are over 0.4 m. Fish are also unable to jump from spillway toe to spillway crest because the downstreamdissipation pool does not meet the minimum depth criterion for fish to accelerate to sufficient velocity. Fish ladders haveinsufficient number of pools and some pool dimensions and designs depart from accepted standard designs. Volumetricdissipation power in the upper pool of each fish ladder is too low for fish to rest. Also, attraction flows relative to totalspillway discharge at the entrance to each fishway are insufficient. Fish passage failures of both the spillway and pool andweir systems in La Estrella marsh can be traced to the ?salmon-centric? concept used by the designers. We conclude thatthe Route 28 Dam design including its fish passage systems, do not follow criteria to cope with the strong hydrologicalvariability and bioecological characteristics of fish inhabiting pulsatile systems such as La Estrella marsh.Fil: Baigún, Claudio Rafael M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas ; ArgentinaFil: Nestler, John. University of Iowa; Estados UnidosFil: Minotti, Priscilla Gail. Universidad Nacional de San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Oldani, Norberto Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química; Argentin