A Mathematical Framework of Human Thought Process: Rectifying Software Construction Inefficiency and Identifying Characteristic Efficiencies of Networked Systems Via Problem-solution Cycle

Problem The lack of a theory to explain human thought process latently affects the general perception of problem solving activities. This present study was to theorize human thought process (HTP) to ascertain in general the effect of problem solving inadequacy on efficiency. Method To theorize human thought process (HTP), basic human problem solving activities were investigated through the vein of problem-solution cycle (PSC). The scope of PSC investigation was focused on the inefficiency problem in software construction and latent characteristic efficiencies of a similar networked system. In order to analyze said PSC activities, three mathematical quotients and a messaging wavefunction model similar to Schrodinger’s electronic wavefunction model are respectively derived for four intrinsic brain traits namely intelligence, imagination, creativity and language. These were substantiated using appropriate empirical verifications. Firstly, statistical analysis of intelligence, imagination and creativity quotients was done using empirical data with global statistical views from: 1. 1994–2004 CHAOS report Standish Group International’s software development projects success and failure survey. 2. 2000–2009 Global Creativity Index (GCI) data based on 3Ts of economic development (technology, talent and tolerance indices) from 82 nations. 3. Other varied localized success and failure surveys from 1994–2009/1998–2010 respectively. These statistical analyses were done using spliced decision Sperner system (SDSS) to show that the averages of all empirical scientific data on successes and failures of software production within specified periods are in excellent agreement with theoretically derived values. Further, the catalytic effect of creativity (thought catalysis) in human thought process is outlined and shown to be in agreement with newly discovered branch-like nerve cells in brain of mice (similar to human brain). Secondly, the networked communication activities of the language trait during PSC was scrutinized statistical using journal-journal citation data from 13 randomly selected 1984 major chemistry journals. With the aid of aforementioned messaging wave formulation, computer simulation of message-phase “thermogram” and “chromatogram” were generated to provide messaging line spectra relative to the behavioral messaging activities of the messaging network under study. Results Theoretical computations stipulated 66.67% efficiency due to intelligence, imagination and creativity traits interactions (multi-computational skills) was 33.33% due to networked linkages of language trait (aggregated language skills). The worldwide software production and economic data used were normally distributed with significance level α of 0.005. Thus, there existed a permissible error of 1% attributed to the significance level of said normally distributed data. Of the brain traits quotient statistics, the imagination quotient (IMGQ) score was 52.53% from 1994-2004 CHAOS data analysis and that from 2010 GCI data was 54.55%. Their average reasonably approximated 50th percentile of the cumulative distribution of problem-solving skills. On the other hand, the creativity quotient score from 1994-2004 CHAOS data was 0.99% and that from 2010 GCI data was 1.17%. These averaged to a near 1%. The chances of creativity and intelligence working together as joint problem-solving skills was consistently found to average at 11.32%(1994-2004 CHAOS: 10.95%, 2010 GCI: 11.68%). Also, the empirical data analysis showed that the language inefficiency of thought flow ηʹ(τ) from 1994-2004 CHAOS data was 35.0977% and that for 2010 GCI data was 34.9482%. These averaged around 35%. On the success and failure of software production, statistical analysis of empirical data showed 63.2% average efficiency for successful software production (1994 - 2012) and 33.94% average inefficiency for failed software production (1998 - 2010). On the whole, software production projects had a bound efficiency approach level (BEAL) of 94.8%. In the messaging wave analysis of 13 journal-to-journal citations, the messaging phase space graph(s) indicated a fundamental frequency (probable minimum message state) of 11. Conclusions By comparison, using cutoff level of printed editions of Journal Citation Reports to substitute for missing data values is inappropriate. However, values from optimizing method(s) harmonized with the fundamental frequency inferred from message wave analysis using informatics wave equation analysis (IWEA). Due to its evenly spaced chronological data snapshot, the application of SDSS technique inherently does diminish the difficulty associated with handling large data volume (big data) for analysis. From CHAOS and GCI data analysis, the averaged CRTQ scores indicate that only 1 percent (on the average) of the entire human race can be considered exceptionally creative. However in the art of software production, the siphoning effect of existing latent language inefficiency suffocates its processes of solution creation to an efficiency bound level of 66.67%. With a BEAL value of 94.8% and basic human error of 5.2%, it can be reasonable said that software production projects have delivered efficiently within existing latent inefficiency. Consequently, by inference from the average language inefficiency of thought flow, an average language efficiency of 65% exists in the process of software production worldwide. Reasonably, this correlates very strongly with existing average software production efficiency of 63.2% around which software crisis has averagely stagnated since the inception of software creation. The persistent dismal performance of software production is attributable to existing central focus on the usage of multiplicity of programming languages. Acting as an “efficiency buffer”, the latter minimizes changes to efficiency in software production thereby limiting software production efficiency theoretically to 66.67%. From both theoretical and empirical perspective, this latently shrouds software production in a deficit maximum attainable efficiency (DMAE). Software crisis can only be improved drastically through policy-driven adaptation of a universal standard supporting very minimal number of programming languages. On the average, the proposed universal standardization could save the world an estimated 6 trillion US dollars per year which is lost through existing inefficient software industry

The intelligence-led national security architecture of Ghana and its three pre-conditions

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonIn chronological order, this dissertation takes the reader through the story of Ghana, covering many decades of its historical and political journey to date. Whilst doing so, it also explains how such a journey helped define the evolution of the country’s intelligence-led national security architecture from the pre-colonial era to what it is today. Besides going through the decades, it also zooms in analytically on the relevance of the architecture under respective governments throughout the country’s history. The historical analysis indicated that throughout Ghana’s history, whenever a new administration assumes office and immediately puts in place an intelligence-led national security architecture to help attain and maintain domestic stability, is when the country is most stable. However, whenever there is absence of intelligence-led national security architecture, the country’s political and security landscape becomes unstable. Such trend has been consistent since independence to date, and not only that when one pushes further back into pre-independence as part of Ghana’s backstory, the trend is still applicable. This analysis helped establish that there is a relationship between the country’s domestic stability and its intelligence-led national security architecture, which embodies three pre-conditions: (1) Establish National Security Institutions, (2) Embark on Intelligence Activities, and (3) Implement Interagency Intelligence Coordination. Additionally, the age of the country’s democracy, the political and security landscape of the sub-region where Ghana is situated, and Ghana’s security sector governance, and oversight responsibilities; have all been evaluated to help argue the relationship between the role of the intelligence-led national security architecture and current domestic stability. Hence underscoring the relevance of the pivotal role being played by Ghana’s intelligence-led national security architecture in the fight to maintain stability in the country

A critical study of Christian-Muslim relations in the central region of Ghana with special reference to traditional Akan values

This work studies Christian-Muslim relations in Ghana with special reference to the role of traditional Akan culture. It identifies and examines religious and cultural practices of the Akan people of Ghana that continue to exert strong influence on the people in the wake of the upsurge of Christianity and Islam. These practices have not only succeeded in moulding and shaping both Christianity and Islam into unique entities as found in Ghana but also toning down the ancient rivalries that have existed between them. It is concluded that Christian-Muslim exchanges go beyond theological and historical discussions. They, more importantly, include religious and socio-political practicalities and issues which are found in this work to not only have far-reaching implications for the formulation of images and attitudes of the other religious tradition but also foster effectual and meaningful Christian-Muslim encounters. It is in the context of cultural and, in fact, holistic understanding of Christian-Muslim engagements that the commonalities of the two great religious traditions could be celebrated and the differences inherent in them be deeply appreciated as an asset and not a liability

Mobile Number Portability in Ghana: Its Effect on Subscribers

Telecommunication services have been recognized the world-over as an important tool for socio-economic development for a nation (Sutherland, 2007). It is one of the prime support services needed for rapid growth and modernization of various sectors of the world economy. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of the introduction of MNP in Ghana on subscribers. It highlights the concept of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) and its application in Ghana. However, from a consumer viewpoint, we summarize the benefits of the Mobile Number Portability system with five major themes. Firstly, the subscribers benefit from the advantages of all possible choices that resulted from the more competitive environment in the sector, it provides benefits like lower prices, higher quality and the wider range of services (Shin, 2005). Again, customers who change the operator following MNP benefit by crossing to the operator which provides the appropriate service for the expectations of them. Further, the calling subscribers don’t have to suffer to find the new numbers of her/his friends, when it is needed to communicate with them. The reality of retransferring of property rights is important, especially for special numbers (Buehler et al., 2005).To achieve the objective of this study logistic linear regression model was used to estimate the impact of Customer service, service problems, usage costs and income on switching preference of network subscribers. The regression results indicate that income of the respondents, high service problems, average service problems, the high usage cost and average usage cost are very important in determining customer intention to switch. Network operators have consequently reduced their tariff rate. Keywords: Mobile Subscribers, Experience, Mobile Number Portability (MNP), Ghan

Biography in and of an archive : the Shelagh Gastrow Collection and South Africa

Magister Artium - MAThis study is about the recent political history of South Africa. It examined the crucial period of late apartheid, through the political transition into democracy. The study was conducted through the lenses of Shelagh Gastrow's work, whose series of publications titled Who’s Who in South African Politics traversed the spectrum of a severely polarised South Africa, and earned her the accolade as a "leading authority" in the biographical enterprise of Who's who. Gastrow had interviewed people in political office, those in opposition, those hiding from political persecution and even those in exile outside South Africa. It involved about 100 personalities for each of her five volumes. The study involved examining archival collections, documentary analysis, desktop research and interviews with Shelagh Gastrow. It also examined the Mayibuye Archives, where the Gastrow collection was eventually transferred, as an archive of resistance to apartheid. The study showed that from its origin as a research project about personalities in South Africa’s resistance and transition history, the Shelagh Gastrow collection was transformed into a heritage resource. The study examined political collections as heritage resources in the process of remaking the nation, and the contributions they make in the national re-engineering process. The study drew on the convergence of two theoretical claims. First, Achille Mbembe, among others, has asserted that there is no state without its archives. An indispensable, symbiotic, socio-political relationship exists between the state, actors in the state, and related archives. The second, posited by the likes of Arjun Appadurai and Igor Kopytoff, is to the effect that objects have social lives, and that they are formed and transformed through interactions with their related societies. Between the objects and their societies, meanings and values are transmitted, exchanged and retained. Thus, a careful analysis of the formation and transformations (a biographical study) of such objects can reveal the obscure about the societies they relate to. Consequently, socio-political collections do reveal much about the individuals, groups, and societies they represent. In the case of South Africa, the analysis showed the corpus of Shelagh Gastrow's collection (the object in this study) which included transcripts of political interviews, manuscripts and Who's who publications, revealed the transition from apartheid into democracy as a critical historical juncture. Political collections constitute important heritage resources, which contribute to the production of national narratives. They may originate in the past, but their analysis in the present has resonance for the collective future of the nation

Final Project Report for Bricks from Recyclables

The Bricks from Recyclables team is dedicated to designing and constructing an eco-friendly concrete brick that incorporates plastic to tackle the issue of plastic waste in the environment. The sponsor, Samadhi Yoga Retreat, plans to use this innovative product as a building material on-site to recycle and repurpose plastic, thereby eliminating the impracticality of transporting plastic waste to a recycling center in the remote location. The team conducted tests on four essential subsystems: shredder, mixer, mold, and brick. The shredder tests involved evaluating the shredder\u27s capability and speed. The capability test demonstrated that the shredder could process both PET and HDPE plastic effectively into appropriate sizes, with HDPE producing slightly more of the targeted size. The speed test demonstrated that the shredder could process five bottles of both plastic types in under five minutes. These tests showed that the shredder adhered to the shredder functionality working criteria. The mixer test evaluated whether the mixture could produce a visually uniform blend in less than five minutes. All mixtures created in the mixer successfully met the criteria. However, the team recommends using a larger mixer for producing full-size bricks. The mold functionality test evaluated the effectiveness of the molds utilized to fabricate the coupons. The 3-D printed molds demonstrated excellent performance, with easy ejection of coupons and convenient cleaning and reusability. However, the melamine coupon mold proved less efficient due to being hand-manufactured and requiring the application of messy silicone for sealing. To accommodate the size limitations of the 3-D printers available to the team, the full-size mold comprises a combination of melamine and 3-D printed components. This test showed that the 3D printed mold adhered to the mold functionality working criteria. The brick tests included a compression test to determine the optimum plastic-concrete formulation and a weather resistance test to assess the brick\u27s water resistance. The compression test showed that pure Quikrete achieved a compressive strength of over 1900 psi for water ratios ranging from 7-7.5%. The team selected 7.5% water as it retained plastic particles more effectively. PET outperformed HDPE in compression tests. However, none of the coupons with plastic ratios ranging from 1 to 15 percent plastic on a mass basis, or 1.54 to 23.11 percent on a volume basis, met the 1900 psi requirement mandated by ASTM C90 [1]. The team recommends longer curing times as a way to increase compressive strength. The final phase of compression testing was anisotropic tests, which tested the bricks\u27 performance in a more consistent orientation with how full-size bricks will be loaded. The results indicated that an increase in plastic particle size resulted in an increase in compressive strength. The rough surfaces of the coupons, caused by molds designed for testing in the other orientation, led to some of the lower fatigue stresses. This test demonstrated that modifying the mold\u27s orientation could increase the compressive strength and potentially lead to a formulation that meets the 1900 psi requirement. The team recommends further research and testing on the anisotropic orientation. The weather resistance test evaluated the water absorption capacity and the formation of salt deposits as the bricks/coupons dried. All specimens underwent both tests and successfully passed. To meet the requirements of the absorption test, the bricks/coupons needed to absorb less than 20% of their original weight. The full-size ASTM C90 bricks performed better, with a range of 6-7%, compared to the coupons, which had a range of 8.8-14.9%

Integrating Clinical Decision Support into Workflow

Purpose: The aims were to (1) identify barriers and facilitators related to integration of clinical decision support (CDS) into workflow and (2) develop and test CDS design alternatives. Scope: To better understand CDS integration, we studied its use in practice, focusing on CDS for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and followup. Phase 1 involved outpatient clinics of four different systems—120 clinic staff and providers and 118 patients were observed. In Phase 2, prototyped design enhancements to the Veterans Administration’s CRC screening reminder were compared against its current reminder in a simulation experiment. Twelve providers participated. Methods: Phase 1 was a qualitative project, using key informant interviews, direct observation, opportunistic interviews, and focus groups. All data were analyzed using a coding template, based on the sociotechnical systems theory, which was modified as coding proceeded and themes emerged. Phase 2 consisted of rapid prototyping of CDS design alternatives based on Phase 1 findings and a simulation experiment to test these design changes in a within-subject comparison. Results: Very different CDS types existed across sites, yet there are common barriers: (1) lack of coordination of “outside” results and between primary and specialty care; (2) suboptimal data organization and presentation; (3) needed provider and patient education; (4) needed interface flexibility; (5) needed technological enhancements; (6) unclear role assignments; (7) organizational issues; and (8) disconnect with quality reporting. Design enhancements positively impacted usability and workflow integration but not workload. Conclusions: Effective CDS design and integration requires: (1) organizational and workflow integration; (2) integrating outside results; (3) improving data organization and presentation in a flexible interface; and (4) providing just-in time education, cognitive support, and quality reporting

Adenovirus vector-mediated assay system for hepatitis C virus replication

The efficient delivery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA subgenomic replicon into cells is useful for basic and pharmaceutical studies. The adenovirus (Ad) vector is a convenient and efficient tool for the transduction of foreign genes into cells in vitro and in vivo. However, an Ad vector expressing the HCV replicon has never been developed. In the present study, we developed Ad vector containing an RNA polymerase (pol) I-dependent expression cassette and a tetracycline-controllable RNA pol I-dependent expression system. We prepared a hybrid promoter from the tetracycline-responsive element and the RNA pol I promoter. Ad vector particles coding the hybrid promoter-driven HCV replicon could be amplified, and interferon, an inhibitor of HCV replication, reduced HCV replication in cells transduced with the Ad vector coding HCV replicon. This is the first report of the development of an Ad vector-mediated HCV replicon system

Deciphering the molecular basis for nucleotide selection by the West Nile virus RNA helicase

The West Nile virus RNA helicase uses the energy derived from the hydrolysis of nucleotides to separate complementary strands of RNA. Although this enzyme has a preference for ATP, the bias towards this purine nucleotide cannot be explained on the basis of specific protein–ATP interactions. Moreover, the enzyme does not harbor the characteristic Q-motif found in other helicases that regulates binding to ATP. In the present study, we used structural homology modeling to generate a model of the West Nile virus RNA helicase active site that provides instructive findings on the interaction between specific amino acids and the ATP substrate. In addition, we evaluated both the phosphohydrolysis and the inhibitory potential of a collection of 30 synthetic purine analogs. A structure-guided alanine scan of 16 different amino acids was also performed to clarify the contacts that are made between the enzyme and ATP. Our study provides a molecular rationale for the bias of the enzyme for ATP by highlighting the specific functional groups on ATP that are important for binding. Moreover, we identified three new essential amino acids (Arg-185, Arg-202 and Asn-417) that are critical for phosphohydrolysis. Finally, we provide evidence that a region located upstream of motif I, which we termed the nucleotide specificity region, plays a functional role in nucleotide selection which is reminiscent to the role exerted by the Q-motif found in other helicases

Linkage Specific Fucosylation of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin in Liver Cirrhosis and Cancer Patients: Implications for a Biomarker of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

We previously reported increased levels of protein-linked fucosylation with the development of liver cancer and identified many of the proteins containing the altered glycan structures. One such protein is alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT). To advance these studies, we performed N-linked glycan analysis on the five major isoforms of A1AT and completed a comprehensive study of the glycosylation of A1AT found in healthy controls, patients with hepatitis C- (HCV) induced liver cirrhosis, and in patients infected with HCV with a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Patients with liver cirrhosis and liver cancer had increased levels of triantennary glycan-containing outer arm (alpha-1,3) fucosylation. Increases in core (alpha-1,6) fucosylation were observed only on A1AT from patients with cancer. We performed a lectin fluorophore-linked immunosorbent assay using Aleuria Aurantia lectin (AAL), specific for core and outer arm fucosylation in over 400 patients with liver disease. AAL-reactive A1AT was able to detect HCC with a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 86%, which was greater than that observed with the current marker of HCC, alpha-fetoprotein. Glycosylation analysis of the false positives was performed; results indicated that these patients had increases in outer arm fucosylation but not in core fucosylation, suggesting that core fucosylation is cancer specific.This report details the stepwise change in the glycosylation of A1AT with the progression from liver cirrhosis to cancer and identifies core fucosylation on A1AT as an HCC specific modification