Compressed Sensing Performance Analysis via Replica Method using Bayesian framework

Compressive sensing (CS) is a new methodology to capture signals at lower rate than the Nyquist sampling rate when the signals are sparse or sparse in some domain. The performance of CS estimators is analyzed in this paper using tools from statistical mechanics, especially called replica method. This method has been used to analyze communication systems like Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and multiple input multi- ple output (MIMO) systems with large size. Replica analysis, now days rigorously proved, is an efficient tool to analyze large systems in general. Specifically, we analyze the performance of some of the estimators used in CS like LASSO (the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) estimator and Zero-Norm regularizing estimator as a special case of maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimator by using Bayesian framework to connect the CS estimators and replica method. We use both replica symmetric (RS) ansatz and one-step replica symmetry breaking (1RSB) ansatz, clamming the latter is efficient when the problem is not convex. This work is more analytical in its form. It is deferred for next step to focus on the numerical results.Comment: The analytical work and results were presented at the 2012 IEEE European School of Information Theory in Antalya, Turkey between the 16th and the 20th of Apri

The limitations of current malaria treatments in sub-Saharan Africa

Current malaria treatments are ineffective in sub-Saharan Africa due to problems beyond the disease. Approximately 90% of malaria mortalities occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and 77% percent of these are children under the age of five. At the same time, sub-Saharan Africa is also the recipient of 80% of international aid. With international malaria funding increasing in recent years, there must be an analysis on the practicability of funded interventions as malaria continues to be a tremendous burden in the region. This review highlights the complexity of malaria pathology and its association with poverty that makes treatments ineffective. Available, frontline antimalarial drugs and insecticides have shown increased resistance that has spread throughout many malaria endemic regions. This resistance aggravates the disease as the parasite and the vector evolve, resulting in increased transmission, increased severity of symptoms, and a high risk of mortality. In addition, the heavily funded malaria vaccine under development by GlaxioSmithKline and PATH shows partial efficacy that languishes over time, putting to question the practicability of such heavily funded interventions. The limitations of available treatments necessitates a holistic approach that responds to the economic state of endemic regions in order to effectively alleviate the burden of disease. An example of a holistic approach is the Multisectoral Action Framework for Malaria. This approach considers the socioeconomic development and fragile markets of endemic nations to encourage partnerships between governments and healthcare sectors in eradicating malaria. Although it will take years to demonstrate results, the burden of malaria calls for sustained efforts to alleviate the burden of the disease along with the poverty that perpetuates it

INVISIBLE DISPLACEMENT: A CALL FOR COMPREHENSIVE LEGAL PROTECTION FOR "OTHER PERSONS OF CONCERN

The global debate on forced migration, which focuses on international legal frameworks and policies, is subjugated mainly by the refugee narratives. The plight of displaced individuals who have been compelled to leave their homes but remain within their own country has received considerably less attention in the international arena due to the absence of a specific international legal framework that comprehensively addresses their unique challenges. These individuals, often generalized as "other persons of concern," attract little to no attention for protection and assistance from the global community. This research explores the legal protections currently available to "other persons of concern," and identifies gaps and challenges in these frameworks. The article analyzes existing literature on the subject, judicial decisions, and relevant legal instruments using the legal research method. The article argues for the urgent need to create a comprehensive legal framework that recognizes and protects the rights of "other persons of concern." Ultimately, this research makes a compelling call for the international community to recognize the vulnerability of "other persons of concern" and the pressing need to shift the discourse on forced displacement toward a more inclusive and comprehensive approach that recognizes the plight of all those who have been forcibly displaced, regardless of whether they have crossed an international border or not

Negotiating Privacy Settings in Homecare through Android Applications

Fra 2019 til 2021 har bruken av e-helsetjenester her i Norge økt med 13%. Dette har selvfølgelig fulgt med mange fordeler, men bringer også noen personvernspørsmål for både pasienter og omsorgspersonene som jobber dem. Dette kan være en grunn til bekymring, spesielt i tilfeller der det er konflikt mellom pasientens personvern og kravene som stilles for at omsorgspersonen kan gjøre jobben sin. Hvis en pasient for eksempel sitter i et sykehjem, når skal omsorgspersonen få tilgang til rommet deres? Er det kanskje en måte å håndtere dette elektronisk uten å påføre noen av partene stress? Og hvilken informasjon bør motparten ha tilgang til når det skal det er spørsmål om å opprettholde personvernet deres. Dette var problemstillingen vi ønsket å diskutere i oppgaven vår. I løpet av prosjekt perioden har vi utviklet et konseptbevis på en programvareagent som lar både pasienter og omsorgspersoner kontrollere og synkronisere personverninnstillingene sine på en enkel og sikker måte. Programvaren består av en Android klient og en tilhørende server som vi distribuerte på NTNU sitt OpenStack-nettverk. Gjennom hele prosjektet brukte vi Design Science forskningsmetodikken med et fokus på å utvide og forbedre applikasjonen i fremtiden. Vi gjennomførte også et studie om personvern i sykehjem for å få innsikt i hvordan vi skulle gjennomføre utviklingsprosessen. Dette studiet inkluderer en spørreundersøkelse fordelt på tre ulike brukerroller: pasienter, omsorgspersoner og pasientens familiemedlemmer. Resultatene av dette studiet ble brukt som grunnlag for å bestemme hvilke personverninnstillinger som skulle implementeres i programvaren vår. I denne oppgaven har vi diskutert både de tekniske (relatert til utviklingen av applikasjonen) og forskningsrelaterte (relatert til spørreundersøkelsen) aspektene av prosjektet vårt og gir innsikt i hva vi mener kan være en god løsning på spørsmålene ovenfor. Vi vil også diskutere det manglende ved prosjektet vårt og de aspektene som vi mener kan forbedres hvis vi skulle ta programvaren fra et konseptbevis til et ferdig produkt.From 2019 to 2021, the use of e-health services here in Norway has increased by 13%. This has of course brought many benefits, but also raises some privacy issues for both patients and the caregivers who care for them. This could be a concern, especially in scenarios where there are conflicts between patient privacy and the demands on caregivers to do their jobs. For example, if a patient is placed in a nursing home, when should the caregiver have access to their room? Is there perhaps a way to handle this electronically without causing either party a lot of stress? And what information should be disclosed to the other party when it comes to maintaining privacy between patient and caregiver? These were the main concerns we wanted to address in our thesis. During the project, we developed a proof-of-concept software agent that allows both patients and caregivers to manage and synchronize their privacy settings simply and securely. The software consists of an Android application running on the client-side and an associated server that we deployed on the NTNU OpenStack network. Throughout the project, we applied the Design Science research methodology with a focus on extending and improving the application in the future. We conducted a study regarding privacy in-home care to gain insight into the development process. First, to support the study, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to three different user roles: patients, caregivers, and patient's family members. The results of the survey conducted served as the basis for determining the privacy settings to be implemented in the software. In this paper, we discuss both the technical aspects (related to the development of the software) and the research aspects (related to the implementation of the survey) of our project and provide some insight into what we think might be a good solution to the questions posed above. We also discuss the shortcomings of our project and the aspects that we believe could be improved if we were to evolve the application from a proof-of-concept to a finished product

Determining Factors of Household Decision to Participate on Small Scale Irrigation Practices in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia

Africa has been promoting small-scale irrigated agriculture as a means of ensuring food security as well as improving the standard of living of rural poor. The main aim of this study was to analyze the determining factors of household decision to participate on Small-Scale Irrigation Practices in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia. The study employed both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data was collected from randomly selected 150 households through interview schedules. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and econometric methods of analysis. Descriptive result indicated that only 28.67% of households participate on small scale irrigation practices and it is still low as compared to large population size of Wolaita Zone. Collapsed canal banks, unstable embankments, leaking lining in elevated embankments, and cattle climbing in and out of the canal are identified as canal related problems whereas lack of appropriate water laws, absence of irrigation association bylaws, conflicts, and sense of ownership are also management problems. Binary logistic result also revealed that location of the household from upstream side of the river, higher household income, being young-aged household head, owning large number of livestock, better accessing market, being male headed household, and attending in higher education improve the household decision to participate on small scale irrigation practices. The authors strongly recommended government, non-governmental organizations, and other concerned stalk holders to give emphasis on intensifying the use of modern agricultural technologies, strengthening the existing irrigation potentials, providing periodic awareness training, and providing different water holding structures to non-users. Keywords: smallholder farmers, small scale irrigation, participation, binary logistic model; DOI: 10.7176/JPID/57-02 Publication date: December 31st 202

Agro-clusters, market imperfections, and technology adoption in Ethiopia: exploring impacts and pathways

Governments and development agencies in many developing countries have been promoting agro-cluster initiatives as a common avenue for promoting the adoption and diffusion of productivity-enhancing agricultural technologies. However, little is known about whether and under which conditions these agro-cluster schemes effectively promote the adoption of these inputs. Using a unique panel farm-household survey of about 5,000 smallholder farmers, we examine the impact of the agro-clusters on extensive and intensive adoption of agricultural technologies in Ethiopia. We employ a two-stage propensity score matching estimator using two broadly used matching algorithms, namely kernel and five-nearest neighbors matching methods. Our results suggest that the agro-cluster fosters both extensive and intensive adoption of modern agricultural inputs. We further undertake heterogeneity analysis to highlight the mechanism that enables agro-clusters to effectively promote the adoption of these inputs. The result shows that relaxing information and credit constraints may be the possible channels through which agro-clusters foster the adoption process. The findings also lend support to the widely held notion in development economics that households who are exposed to imperfect markets are unresponsive to government incentive schemes and opportunities to adopt new technologies. The findings provide strong evidence that the agro-cluster scheme may be a crucial policy instrument to promote the adoption of agricultural technologies with ensuing impacts on rural livelihoods and welfare

Factors influencing non-adherence to antitroviral therapy (ART) among people living with hiv/aids (PLWHA): A case of Isiolo district, Kenya

RA 643.G6 2014In HIV/AIDS treatment adherence to antiretroviral therapy is of paramount importance. To achieve suppression of viral replication, decrease in viral load and improving quality of life needs near perfect adherence of 95%. The researcher had sort to establish factors influencing non adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS in Isiolo District. The researcher used descriptive survey design. Sample population of 193 participants which is 30% of the 640 total study populations was used. This was obtained from the district comprehensive care clinic through document analysis. The raw data was collected using structured questionnaires and focused group discussion which was cleaned, classified, coded processed, analyzed and presented using pie-charts, graphs and tables. Findings show: individual’s income, multiple drugs combination, health care workers perceptions, beliefs and taboos influence non adherence to antiretroviral therapy while counseling helps to create positive altitude and minimizes stigma. The study recommends: Ministry of Health with other stakeholders to solicit funds to form support groups that will stabilize clients emotionally, psychologically and economically. To improve infrastructure, health care workers and public perceptions and altitudes through trainings, public education, barazas and pamphlets. Free treatment of opportunistic infections for patients with pneumonias, malaria and others infections to minimize admissions and improve quality of life