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Multiple time-delays system modeling and control for router management
Get PDFAbstract-This paper investigates the overload problem of a single congested router in TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) networks. To cope with the congestion phenomenon, we design a feedback control based on a multiple time-delays model of the set TCP/AQM (Active Queue Management). Indeed, using robust control tools, especially in the quadratic separation framework, the TCP/AQM model is rewritten as an interconnected system and a structured state feedback is constructed to stabilize the network variables. Finally, we illustrate the proposed methodology with a numerical example and simulations using NS-2 [1] simulator
The Shades of Avian Cellulitis in Meat-Type Chicken *For Correspondence
No full textABSTRACT Cellulitis of broiler or 'meat-type' chicken is an emerging technopathy, a disadvantageous result of high and intensive animal production, a production cycle disease. Cellulitis causes significant morbidity, mortality and economic losses to the poultry industry: condemnation, downgrading at processing, trimming and reprocessing of affected carcasses. Cellulitis is caused by several different bacteria but most notably by Escherichia coli. Cellulitis-affected birds do not exhibit clinical symptoms commonly associated with colisepticemia, and the infection is often detected at slaughter, which results in carcass condemnation at processing. The slaughterhouse, therefore, is a privileged site for the detection and identification of avian cellulitis. The goal of this brief review is a dual approach towards the characterization of avian cellulitis. This clinicopathologic entity will be described and interpreted in terms of pathology with epidemiological and pathogenetical informations. Then practical cues and skills will be provided for the identification of avian cellulitis during post post-mortem inspection in poultry processing plants
DETERMINATON OF THE SPATIAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION GENERATED BY MEANS OF A FLASH LAMP
Get PDFAbstract In order to carry out a quantitative analysis of thermographic data the heating energy and its spatial distribution have to be known. Especially in the case of flash lamp excitation the correct determination of these parameters is complicated due to very short excitation times combined with high power densities. The paper describes a procedure for the characterization of such lamps using a simple calorimetric sensor and a plane reference area. The presented results illustrate the performance and the suitability of the method in the field of thermography
S.: Pattern-based approach for designing with diagrammatic and propositional conceptual models
No full textAbstract. A conceptual modeling approach for Ubiquitous Information Systems (UIS) is presented as a central part of a UIS design methodology. Three conceptual models are used for step-wise derivation of machine-executable design models for distributed service infrastructures: narratives, pattern-based diagrammatic conceptual models (Pre-Artifacts), and formalized propositional conceptual models
An Empirical Study of Goto in C Code from GitHub Repositories
Get PDFABSTRACT It is nearly 50 years since Dijkstra argued that goto obscures the flow of control in program execution and urged programmers to abandon the goto statement. While past research has shown that goto is still in use, little is known about whether goto is used in the unrestricted manner that Dijkstra feared, and if it is 'harmful' enough to be a part of a post-release bug. We, therefore, conduct a two part empirical study -(1) qualitatively analyze a statistically representative sample of 384 files from a population of almost 250K C programming language files collected from over 11K GitHub repositories and find that developers use goto in C files for error handling (80.21±5%) and cleaning up resources at the end of a procedure (40.36 ± 5%); an
A test of the effectiveness of speaker verification for differentiating between identical twins
Get PDFABSTRACT This paper presents investigations into the ability of speaker verification technology to discriminate between identical twins. It is shown that whilst, in general, the genetic and non-genetic characteristics of voice are both of value to speaker verification capabilities, it is the latter which is highly beneficial in the separation of the speech of identical twins. It is further demonstrated that through the use of unconstrained cohort normalisation as a complementary means for the exploitation of such voice characteristics, the verification reliability can be considerably enhanced for both identical twins and unrelated speakers. Experiments were conducted using a bespoke clean-speech database consisting of utterances from forty nine identical twin pairs. The paper details the problem in speaker verification posed by identical twins, discusses the experimental investigations and provides an analysis of the results
How statistical deception created the appearance that statins are safe and effective in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease
Get PDF207 Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of South Florida on 03/02/15 For personal use only. Key issues . The almost exclusive presentation of data in the relative risk format by statin advocates has intentionally misled the public to exaggerate the miniscule benefits of statins. . Primary-preventive cholesterol-lowering trials have not succeeded in reducing the rate of mortality. . The absolute risk reduction of CVD mortality in secondary-preventive cholesterol-lowering trials is quite small, rarely exceeding two percentage points, and no primary-preventive trial has ever succeeded in prolonging the life of the participants. . The rate of serious adverse effects of statin treatment is highly underestimated. . Adverse effects of statins are extensive, including diabetes, cognitive impairments, cancer, cataracts and musculoskeletal disorders. . The small benefit seen in the cholesterol-lowering trials is independent of the degree of cholesterol lowering. . Approaches to improving cardiovascular outcomes that should be emphasized are the cessation of smoking, avoidance of obesity and to consume foods low in sugar and partially hydrogenated fats and high in saturated fats, such as coconut, butter, eggs and full fat cheese
ORGANIZATIONAL AND DEFINITIONAL RECONFIGURATION OF ZAKAT MANAGEMENT
Get PDFABSTRACT The encouraging accomplishment of contemporary zakat management is undoubtedly praiseworthy, but a thought on the avoidance of hiccups along the way is necessary. Based on the Malaysian experience, this paper attempts to explore into two simple objectives. Firstly, to identify the hiccups of the zakat management; and secondly, to endeavor a proposition to solve the hiccups so as to allow for a smoother zakat transformation. It will be shown that the occurrences of the hiccups lie mainly inter alia in the organizational structure and the definitional usage within the zakat management itself, hence we name them structural hiccup and definitional hiccup respectively. In the case of the former, there are issues of professionalism versus traditionalism and centralization versus decentralization; while in the case of the later, there are issues of the usage of Islamic definitions of the zakat-related concepts versus the western ethnocentric definitions of the same. The solutions prescribed for the structural hiccups would be the reconfiguration of the centralization and decentralization, and the professionalism and traditionalism. For the definitional hiccups, this paper is in favor of the reconfiguration of the definition of zakatrelated concepts based on authentic sources of Islam, not on an eclectic-accommodativemodified definitions of the western ethno-centric concepts
Old and Young Politicians *
Get PDFAbstract We evaluate the effect of a politician's age on political governance, reelection rates, and policies using data on Italian local governments. Our results suggest that younger politicians are more likely to behave strategically in response to election incentives: they increase spending and obtain more transfers from higher levels of government in preelection years. We argue that is a sign of stronger career concerns incentives. The results are robust to adopting three different identification strategies: fixed-effects regression, standard regression discontinuity design, and an augmented regression discontinuity design that controls for residual heterogeneity. JEL codes: C21, D78, H72, H77, J18
THE EFFECT OF PROTEIN SOURCE ON PARAMETERS OF RUMEN CONTENT AND DIGESTIBILITY OF NUTRIENTS IN FATTENING LAMBS
Get PDFAbstract D. RuZiC-MusliCH, M. P. PetRoviCH, M. M. PetRoviCH, P. PeRisiCH, Z. BijeliCH, v. PanteliCH and v. CaRo-PetRoviCH, 2013. the effect of protein source on parameters of rumen content and digestibility of nutrients in fattening lambs. Bulg. J Agric. Sci., In this paper, results of the study of the effect of different protein sources in concentrate mixtures on fluid rumen content and digestibility of nutrients in fattening lambs are presented. Physiological study included 18 male lambs of Mis population, average body mass of approx, 35.0 kg, divided into three groups. Lambs were fed isoprotein concentrate mixtures (14% CP) which differed about protein source: sunflower meal (I), soybean meal (II) and fishmeal (III), resulting in different ratio of protein non-degradable in rumen: 43% (I), 51% (II) and 58% (iii), respectively. Content of ammonia nitrogen (nH 3 -N) in rumen fluid of fattening lambs in said treatments was 42.46: 33.86: 31.35 mg/100 ml. pH rumen value in treatments i: ii: iii were 6.56: 6.35: 6.15. Trial results show that the level of protein intake was not under significant influence of studied treatment, considering that digestibility coefficients were 52.58%: 51.30%: 55.12%. With the increase of the share of non-degradable protein in concentrate mixtures, the tendency of fat digestibility increase was observed: 76.13: 77.98: 87.17%, also of decrease of cellulose intake: 67.40: 45.87: 22.39% and nFe: 83.87: 76.05: 82.96%