2,761 research outputs found
Importance Sampling for a Markov Modulated Queuing Network with Customer Impatience until the End of Service
Full text linkFor more than two decades, there has been a growing of interest in fast simulation techniques for estimating probabilities of rare events in queuing networks. Importance sampling is a variance reduction method for simulating rare events. The present paper carries out strict deadlines to the paper by Dupuis et al for a two node tandem network with feedback whose arrival and service rates are modulated by an exogenous finite state Markov process. We derive a closed form solution for the probability of missing deadlines. Then we have employed the results to an importance sampling technique to estimate the probability of total population overflow which is a rare event. We have also shown that the probability of this rare event may be affected by various deadline values.Importance Sampling, Queuing Network, Rare Event, Markov Process, Deadline
Eigenvoice speaker adaptation with minimal data for statistical speech synthesis systems using a MAP approach and nearest-neighbors
No full textDue to copyright restrictions, the access to the full text of this article is only available via subscription.Statistical speech synthesis (SSS) systems have the ability to adapt to a target speaker with a couple of minutes of adaptation data. Developing adaptation algorithms to further reduce the number of adaptation utterances to a few seconds of data can have substantial effect on the deployment of the technology in real-life applications such as consumer electronics devices. The traditional way to achieve such rapid adaptation is the eigenvoice technique which works well in speech recognition but known to generate perceptual artifacts in statistical speech synthesis. Here, we propose three methods to alleviate the quality problems of the baseline eigenvoice adaptation algorithm while allowing speaker adaptation with minimal data. Our first method is based on using a Bayesian eigenvoice approach for constraining the adaptation algorithm to move in realistic directions in the speaker space to reduce artifacts. Our second method is based on finding pre-trained reference speakers that are close to the target speaker and utilizing only those reference speaker models in a second eigenvoice adaptation iteration. Both techniques performed significantly better than the baseline eigenvoice method in the objective tests. Similarly, they both improved the speech quality in subjective tests compared to the baseline eigenvoice method. In the third method, tandem use of the proposed eigenvoice method with a state-of-the-art linear regression based adaptation technique is found to improve adaptation of excitation features.TÜBİTAK ; European Commissio
Racism and Islamophobia: A Personal Perspective
Full text linkThe article employs a subjective personal approach to show that new racisms are alive in the twenty-first century. Tracing my parents’ journey from India and Pakistan to Britain, it explores the political effects of the racism they and their children faced. Locating these reflections in a post-9/11 world, the article describes the turn my academic work has taken in response to media representations of Muslims, and calls for academic research on British Muslim identity to reflect the process of identity-making and its contingencies
The Relationship between Blood Creatinine Levels and Survival of Patients with Kidney Disease Using Joint Longitudinal and Survival Model
No full textIntroduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an irreversible kidney function that can lead to the end stage of the renal disease. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between blood Creatinine levels and survival of patients with kidney disease using joint longitudinal and survival model.
Methods: In this descriptive-longitudinal study, demographic and disease information of 112 patients with chronic renal failure that referred to a Medical-educational center in Gonbad-e Kavus for hemodialysis purposes between 2012 and 2014. Longitudinal creatinine levels and survival (i.e. the time interval between the beginning of the study until death or the end of the patients’ study) are considered as response variables. Data is analyzed by Joint model for assessing effective factors on survival and the result is compared with survival and longitudinal models. The models are fitted by R 3-1-3 and the significant level is considered as 0.05.
Results: In joint model, factors such as marital status, initial amount of hemoglobin, hemoglobin, blood urea and phosphorus had statistically significant relationship with survival patients’ survival. In addition, the risk of death and sex, age, marital status, diabetes, duration of dialysis, initial amount of creatinine had statistically significant relationship with creatinine level. Moreover, results demonstrate a correlation between the survival and longitudinal creatinine models. In other words, a unit decrease in creatinine level leads to 0.34 increase in risk of death.
Conclusions: This study shows that the standard error of coefficients in the joint model is less than longitudinal and survival models. The use of joint model is recommended for binary correlated responses in the medicine and public health fields
Analysis of the natural circulation flow map uncertainties in an integral small modular reactor
No full textThe understanding of the Natural Circulation (NC) mechanism and its flow regimes can be considered as a help to
achieve a higher safety level and lower costs by reliance on this mechanism. NC Flow Map (NCFM) envelope
diagram as an engineering tool for evaluating the NC Performance (NCP) has been attained from different test
facilities database. Some Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with their interesting safety and economic features
have used the NC mechanism as their main primary flow drive mechanism. Uncertainty analysis of NCP of a SMR
with NC flow drive mechanism, according to the NCFM envelope diagram, is the main objective of the current
study. For this purpose, the NuScale reactor with helical coil steam generator at the normal operation NC mode
has been modelled using RELAP5/Mod3.3 and the differences of the results in comparison to the designer’s data
are in the acceptable range. Then an uncertainty quantification for several sensitive parameters of NuScale has
been performed according to the Code Scaling, Applicability and Uncertainty (CSAU) method and NCFM uncertainties
for this reactor have been derived. The NuScale NC uncertainties during the normal operation have
been mapped to the NCFM envelope to evaluate the NCP of this reactor in high powers. The mass flow rate to
power as an index parameter has been used in NCFM and the value of this parameter is evaluated in the range of
3–4 ( Kg
MW.s). This range shows the better performance and good design of NuScale reactor for normal operation at
the NC condition in comparison to the typical PWRs with high power NC
A right to exist. A Palestinian speaks
No full textA Right to Exist: A Palestinian Speaks.
Feminist Media Studies: Vol 13, No.5
Elaine Drainville and Amir Saeed
University of Sunderland
Abstract
This paper links theory with practice. It discusses original video footage of Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, filmed by an all-woman crew of western film-makers and Palestinians, which aims to challenge mainstream Orientalist discourses. The footage was shot in and around Al Aroub refugee camp in the West Bank and distributed through a variety of exhibition platforms. Western representations of Arabs are normally framed in a manner that allows little sympathy and/or understanding of their plight. Research has also shown a lack of knowledge in the West about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Focusing on “ordinary and everyday” aspects of Palestinian life, rendered often “extraordinary” by the circumstances of occupation, the footage attempts to draw connections and similarities for a western audience and to illustrate that Palestinian daily lives are not “played out” only in opposition to the Israeli regime. The paper explores methods of enabling access to Palestinian voices in their own terms, while eliciting the empathy of audiences more accustomed to dramatised and stereotyped images of Palestinian life in western news and current affairs footage.
Key words: Palestinian women, Orientalism, voice, documentary filming
Impact of Web technologies on student-lecturer expert power relationship
Full text linkExpert power is “the power that comes from having knowledge and expertise in a particular area” (Nazarko, 2004). In the history of the development of higher education, the relationship between the lecturer and the students has changed because of many different factors. Before the internet and web revolution, the lecturer used to be the main information source for his/her students. The web as a modern source of knowledge is now used universally and this spreading trend might affect the relationship between the lecturer and his students. Understanding the impact of this change appears to be important as it would be employed in improving teaching techniques. In this area, many studies have focused on the impact of using the internet and web applications on students and lecturers. These studies have widely investigated this impact on student’s achievements, attitude and also have shown how the role and performance of the faculty have changed. This paper aims to investigate the impact of using web resources as a source of knowledge on the student-lecturer relationship from students’ perspectives. The investigation focuses on how students’ knowledge gained from using websites has impacted on the relationship with their lecturer as a knowledgeable person which theoretically means Expert power. 1661 students from 30 universities/ educational institutions participated in this research
Hermeneutika Al-Qur’an Kontekstual: Metode Menafsirkan Al-Qur’an Abdullah Saeed
Full text linkQuranic exegesis has a special place in the development of Islamic intellectual tradition and civilization at large. As the main source of Islamic teaching, for centuries Muslims have attempted to understand the various meanings of the Qur’an in order to be in line with the current needs of the society through the process of contextualization. In this article, the author presents and explains the way in which Abdullah Saeed, a professor in Islamic studies from the the University of Melbourne, Australia, contextualize the meaning of the Quran. In particular, this article analyzes some methodological aspects proposed by Saeed in the qontextualization of the Qur’an: 1) identifying the world of the text; 2) analyzing text critically; 3) connecting the text to the early Islamic community as the first receivers; and 4) relating the text to the current needs of society. Keywords: Quranic exegesis, Abdullah Saeed, tafsir methodology, contextualization
Bunga bank konvensional menurut pandangan Abdullah Saeed
Full text linkBunga adalah salah satu pendapatan yang dihasilkan oleh perbankan konvensinal. Dalam praktiknya, yang menggunakan sistem bunga ini bukan hanya di bank saja, tetapi di lembaga keuangan non bank pun juga ada yang menggunakan sistem bunga sebagai sumber pendapatan bisnisnya. Untuk menjelaskan mengenai bunga bank pada penelitian ini, penulis merujuk pada pemikiran Abdullah Saeed. Saeed berpandangan bahwa bunga bank konvensional tidaklah haram, karena tidak mengandung unsur-unsur yang merupakan tujuan utama pelarangan riba.
Rumusan Masalah: Pertama, Bagaimana bunga bank menurut Abdullah Saeed? Kedua, Bgaimana relevansinya dalam dunia perbankan di Indonesia? Jenis penilitian yang digunakan adalah kepustakaan (library research) yaitu mengumpulkan data atau karya ilmiah yang bertujuan dengan objek penelitian atau pengumpulan data yang bersifat kepustakaan, baik berupa buku, catatan, maupun laporan hasil penelitian dari penelitian terdahulu.
Hasil penelitian ini: pertama, Abdullah Saeed memandang bahwa pinjaman dengan sistem bunga tidak menyebabkan ketidakadilan, maka pinjaman tersebut dibolehkan. Saeed melihat bahwa riba di zaman jahiliyah berbeda dengan mekanisme sistem bunga dalam perbankan konvensional saat ini, apalagi sampai pada terjadinya penindasan dan penganiyaan yang dilakukan oleh kreditur kepada debitur. Kedua, Dilihat dari relevansi sosial ekonomi, budaya ekonomi dan ekonomi serta politik ekonomi mengenai bunga bank jika dihubungkan dengan pemikiran Abdullah Saeed di Indonesia saat ini yaitu sangatlah berkaitan. Karena bunga bank memiliki dampak positif bagi bank konvensional maupun para nasabah yang sudah menanamkan modalnya. Dari sistem bunga ini, tidak hanya salah satu pihak saja yang diuntungkan, tetapi kedua belah pihak. Selain itu, transaksi pinjam meminjam dalam sistem perbankan juga dilakukan secara jelas, terbuka dan dilindungi oleh undang-undang. Jadi, kegiatan perbankan di Indonesia sekarang ini sangatlah berkaitan sekali dengan pemikiran Abdullah Saeed tersebut, dan tidak ada pihak yang dirugikan dari sistem bunga bank ini.
ABSTRACT
Interest is one of the incomes that generated by conventional bank. In practice, those who use this interest system are not only banks, but also non-bank financial that use the interest system as a source of their business income. In this study, the author refers to the thoughts of Abdullah Saeed. Saeed thinks that conventional bank interest is not unlawful, because it does not contain elements which are the main purpose of prohibiting usury.
The problem of this study: first, What is the bank's interest according to Abdullah Saeed? Second, What the relevant among the interest and Indonesian banking? The type of research used is library research which is collecting data or scientific work aimed at the object of research or collection of library-based data, both in the form of books, notes and research reports from previous research.
The results of this study: first, Abdullah Saeed views that loans with an interest system do not cause inequity, it is permitted. Saeed sees that usury in the jahiliyah era was different from the current system of conventional banking's interest, moreover it leads to the persecution and abuse by creditors to the debtor. Second, Seeing from the relevance of socio-economic, cultural-economic and political-economic regarding to bank interest if it linked to Abdullah Saeed's thinking in Indonesia today, it is very relevant. Because bank interest has a positive impact on conventional banks its elf and the customers who have invested their capital. From this system, both parties get the benefits. In addition, lending and borrowing transactions in banking system are also carried out clearly, openly and protected by law. So, Indonesian banking activities are very closely related to Abdullah Saeed's thinking and no party is harmed from this bank's interest system
THE CONCEPTS OF CONTEXTUAL INTERPRETATION OF THE QUR’AN ABDULLAH SAEED
Full text linkAlong with the demands of modern and contemporary times, Muslim thinkers and scientists are starting to try, to respond, and find solutions to the crisis of how religious traditions are still able to relate to modernity and changing times in general. This article discusses one of the approaches used by contemporary scholars in understanding the Qur’an, one of whom is Abdullah Saeed, a professor of Islamic studies in Australia, who initiated the method of contextualizing the Qur’an. In particular, the author tries to explain methodological aspects from Abdullah Saeed’s point of view in contextualizing the Qur'an. To be able to find answers to these problems, the author tries to collect data from various sources, both primary sources, namely from Abdullah Saeed’s writings, and secondary sources, namely writings related to the main focus. To conclude, the writer tries to analyze the data that has been collected using the theory of character studies by analyzing the environment around the characters and the arguments that are built. The author concludes that the contextual interpretation initiated by Abdullah Saeed is a method of interpreting the text of the verses of the Qur’an which is related to the context of life and conditions society to answer various problems experienced by contemporary society today. Apart from that, in his thinking, Abdullah Saeed has the advantage of the double movement method initiated by Fazlur Rahman, namely he can provide systematic and operational steps in contextualizing the Qur’an.Seiring dengan adanya tuntutan zaman modern dan kontemporer saat ini, para pemikir dan ilmuan Muslim mulai berusaha memberikan respon dan mencari solusi terhadap krisis bagaimana tradisi-tradisi agama tetap mampu berhubungan dengan modernitas dan perubahan zaman secara umum. Artikel ini membahas tentang salah satu pendekatan yang digunakan beberapa ulama kontemporer dalam memahami Al-Qur’an, salah satunya adalah Abdullah Saeed seorang guru besar bidang studi Islam di Australia, yang menggagas metode kontekstualisasi Al-Qur’an. Secara khusus penulis berusaha memaparkan aspek-aspek metodologis dari pandangan Abdullah Saeed dalam melakukan kontekstualisasi Al-Qur’an. Untuk dapat menemukan jawaban dari permasalahan tersebut, penulis berusaha megumpulkan data-data dari berbagai sumber, baik dari sumber primer yakni dari tulisan-tulisan Abdullah Saeed maupun dari sumber sekunder yakni tulisan-tulisan yang berkaitan dengan fokus utama. Guna mendapat kesimpulan, penulis berusaha menganalisis data-data yang telah terkumpul menggunakan teori studi tokoh dengan menganalisa lingkungan sekitar tokoh serta argumentasi-argumentasi yang dibangun. Penulis berkesimpulan bahwa penafsiran kontekstual yang digagas Abdullah Saeed merupakan metode interpretasi teks ayat Al-Quran yang dikaitakan dengan konteks kehidupan dan kondisi masyarakat guna menjawab berbagai persoalan yang dialami masyarakat kontemporer saat ini. Selain itu, dalam pemikirannya Abdullah Saeed memiliki keunggulan dari metode double movement yang digagas oleh Fazlur Rahman, yakni ia mampu memberi sistematika dan langkah-langkah operasional dalam melakukan kontektualisasi Al-Qur’an
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