Performance of delay constrained multi-user networks under block fading channels

Abstract. Effective Capacity (EC) indicates the maximum communication rate subject to a certain delay constraint while the effective energy efficiency (EEE) is the ratio between this EC and power consumption. In this thesis, we analyze the EC and EEE of multi-user networks operating in the finite blocklength (FB) regime. We consider a layout in which a number of users communicate through a common controller. A closed form approximation for the per-user EC is obtained in Nakagami-$m$ fading collision channels. The interference between transmitted data packets degrades the EC of each user. We analyze this decrease proposing three methods to alleviate the interference effect for one of the users namely power control, delay relaxation and joint compensation. Our results show that systems with stringent delay constraints favor power controlled compensation while for shorter packets, the amount of compensation needed by both $\theta$ relaxation and power increases is higher. Thus, it is more costly to compensate networks transmitting shorter packets. For the hybrid method, we maximize an objective function whose parameters are determined according to the design priorities (e.g. rate and latency requirements). Results reveal that there is a unique throughput maximizer which is obtained at an intermediate operational point applying both power control and delay relaxation in the joint compensation process. Furthermore, we characterize the per-user EEE for different power consumption models. The results show that accounting for empty buffer probability enhances the per-user EEE. Considering flexible transmission power and extending the maximum delay tolerance boosts the per-use EEE which is depicted in the thesis as well.Suorituskyvyn analysointi viiverajoitetussa usean käyttäjän verkossa lohkohäipyvissä kanavissa. Tiivistelmä. Efektiivinen kapasiteetti kertoo suurimman tietoliikenteen datanopeuden määritetyillä viiverajoituksilla, kun taas efektiivinen energiatehokkuus on efektiivisen kapasiteetin ja tehonkulutuksen suhde. Tässä diplomityössä analysoidaan efektiivistä kapasiteettia ja efektiivistä energiatehokkuutta monisolmuverkoissa, kun käytetään äärellistä lohkon pituutta. Työssä käytetään mallia, jossa tietty määrä käyttäjiä kommunikoi yhteisen kontrolliyksikön ohjaamana. Käyttäjäkohtaisen efektiivisen kapasiteetin approksimaatio datapakettien törmäyksiä mallintavassa Nakagami-m -häipyvässä kanavassa esitetään suljetussa muodossa. Lähetettyjen pakettien välinen häiriö pienentää kunkin käyttäjän efektiivistä kapasiteettia. Tätä ilmiötä pyritään lieventämään kolmella ehdotetulla menetelmällä eli tehonsäädöllä, viiveen relaksoinnilla ja näiden yhdistelmällä. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että tiukkojen viiverajoitusten voimassa ollessa tehopohjainen kompensointi toimii parhaiten kun taas lyhyille paketeille vaaditaan molempia menetelmiä. Niinpä lyhyitä paketteja lähettävien verkkojen kompensointimenetelmät ovat kalliita. Hybridimenetelmässä maksimoidaan kohdefunktio, jonka parametrit määritellään suunnittelukriteerien mukaan (esim. datanopeus- ja viivevaatimukset). Tulokset paljastavat, että löytyy yksittäinen verkon läpäisykyvyn maksimoiva keskialueen toimintapisteen kohta teho- ja viivepohjaista kompensointia yhdessä käytettäessä. Lisäksi työssä mallinnetaan solmukohtaista efektiivistä energiatehokkuutta eri tehonkulutusmalleilla. Tulokset osoittavat, että ei-tyhjän puskurin todennäköisyyden huomioon ottaminen parantaa käyttäjäkohtaista efektiivistä energiatehokkuutta. Työssä kuvataan myös, että joustavan lähetystehon käyttö yhdessä väljennetyn maksimiviivetoleranssin kanssa parantaa efektiivistä energiatehokkuutta

The Ability of Translation Students in Translating English Proverbs into Arabic and Vice Versa at Jadara University in Jordan

This paper aims at examining the ability of translation students in translating English cultural expressions “proverbs’ into Arabic. For achieving this purpose, the researcher selected a random sample of 20 translation students who enrolled during the academic year (2015-2016) in the Department of English Language and Translation at Jadara University in Jordan. The final reliable and validated test of 25 proverbs was set. These English proverbs were taken from Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs edited by John Simpson and Jennifer Speake. Translation students were asked to translate them into Arabic. The collected data were analyzed and investigated quantitatively and qualitatively. The results revealed unaccepted level of students in translating these proverbs; in addition to low extend in dealing with their functional meaning circulated by a number of problems. The most committed problems were related to students’ unfamiliarity with English proverbs, in addition to their failure in achieving the exact Arabic equivalence of English proverbs listed in the translation test. Keywords: English Cultural expressions, Arabic proverbs, students’ translation

GRAMMATICAL ERRORS MADE BY TRANSLATION STUDENTS WHEN TRANSLATING ARABIC ENVIRONMENTAL TEXT INTO ENGLISH

The current study aims at analyzing the grammatical errors or mistakes made by translation students at English Department (ED) at Jadara University in Jordan. To achieve the purpose of this study, a validated and reliable scientific Arabic text of environmental text as a test was used. It was given to a sample consists of 20 translation students, and the sample was selected randomly from ED. The students were asked to translate the Arabic environmental text into English. The results reveal the most common grammatical problems found are the problem of “Wrong Word Usage” that has achieved the first rank, followed by the use of the "Subject Verb Agreement", and then the problem of "Sentence Fragment" that has got the third rank. The last rank is for the problems of "Pronouns" and "Verb To Be". In the light of study's results, a number of recommendations and further researches were set up.  Article visualizations

Effectiveness of vedolizumab and ustekinumab as second biologic agent in achieving target outcomes in tumor necrosis factor antagonists experienced patients with inflammatory bowel disease (enroll-ex study)

Background: About a third of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) do not respond to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy. In our study, we evaluated the effectiveness of vedolizumab and ustekinumab in achieving clinical and endoscopic outcomes in anti-TNF-experienced patients with IBD.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study. Electronic medical records of patients with moderate to severe IBD, who were previously received anti-TNF therapies, were reviewed and evaluated retrospectively in a gastroenterology center. Outcomes of patients treated with ustekinumab or vedolizumab after failing one anti-TNF agent were evaluated. The primary outcomes were the percentage of hospitalization, surgery, mucosal healing and steroid-free remission. Mucosal healing was defined as a Mayo endoscopic score of 0 or 1 in ulcerative colitis (UC) and an SES-CD score of less than 3 in Crohn’s disease (CD). Outcomes were quantified using descriptive analysis.Results: A total of 207 (130 CD: 77 UC) patients with IBD who had previously received one anti-TNF agent were included in the study. Of the total cohort, 62 (30.0%) patients were receiving vedolizumab, and 145 (70.0%) patients were on ustekinumab. 101 (77.6%) patients with CD who failed one anti-TNF therapy were on ustekinumab. Of these patients, 26 (19.7%) patients were hospitalized, and 12 (11.9%) patients had IBD-related surgery. 16 (16.1%) patients had at least one corticosteroid course. 60 (59.0%) patients with CD on ustekinumab achieved mucosal healing. 29 (22.3%) patients with CD who failed one anti-TNF therapy were receiving vedolizumab. Of those, 7 (25%) patients were hospitalized, and 11 (37.9%) patients had IBD-related surgery. 15 (51.0%) patients achieved mucosal healing. 44 (57.1%) patients with UC who failed one anti-TNF therapy were on ustekinumab. Of these 6 (14.1%) patients were hospitalized, 3 (7.0%) patients had IBD-related surgery and 13 (30%) patients had at least 1 corticosteroid course. 25 (57.0%) patients achieved mucosal healing. 33 (42.8%) patients with UC who failed one anti-TNF therapy were receiving vedolizumab. Of those, 6 (18.6%) patients were hospitalized, and 16 (49.6%) patients had at least 1 corticosteroid course. 17 (53.2%) patients achieved mucosal healing.Conclusion: Ustekinumab and vedolizumab were both effective in achieving clinical outcomes in patients with IBD after failing an anti-TNF agent. However, patients receiving ustekinumab had numerically higher percentages of reaching target outcomes than patients receiving vedolizumab. A prospective head-to-head trial is warranted to confirm these findings

Post-graduate Translation Curriculum and Employability: The Case of Two Palestinian Universities

Translator training has made a significant contribution to the welfare of translation in the job market all over the world. The issue of curriculum development has always been part and parcel of such training which is likely to pave the way for employability. This issue should then be given due attention in view of recent developments in the field of translation and technology, and the considerably larger and more robust job market. This article aims to explore the status of professionally-oriented translation, curriculum-wise in Palestine as illustrated in two Palestinian universities offering MA in translation on the hope of giving some advice to developers of academic postgraduate translation programmes. First, the article closely examines the course description of the courses (be core or elective) in the two universities. The article then shows that although most of the courses offered help graduates manage to get jobs or moonlight, the curricula seem to fail to match employability in the growing market place, as some courses at these universities, with a varying degree, are unrelated to the local job market. The article concludes that (1) the issue of curriculum permanent planning and design in the light of the job market becomes vital in translator training and education; (2) developing a curriculum should be responsive to local, regional and international translation industry demands, and thus it might contribute to sustainable development in the Palestine translation industry; and (3) information technology-based courses should be given more attention and developed so as to keep abreast of today’s rapidly technological developments, since these courses might qualify graduates to cross various geographical borders to compete globally with peer translators

Undergraduate translation teaching: a pedagogical perspective

In institutions across the world, translation training is accorded sacrosanct status in translation studies. Recent developments in translation and technology, combined with the increasingly prominent role of translation in the global marketplace, have given the discipline a renewed significance both academically and culturally. In Palestine, however, translator training has for many years subsisted on limited resources, despite the fact that translation, in most Palestinian universities English departments, has been a requisite course in English language and literature degrees at undergraduate level for the past four decades. Drawing on first-hand experience from teaching undergraduate translation courses at Al-Quds University and An-Najah National University, what this article attempts to investigate, then, is the status of translation teaching at the undergraduate level at English departments in Palestinian universities. To that effect, the paper uses a selective body of authentic translation examples and outlines some important issues which are indispensable to undergraduate translation teaching. The study offers advice and guidelines to university professors and instructors who do not have degrees and/or training in translation and find themselves obliged to teach undergraduate translation courses at their respective English departments. In institutions across the world, translation training is accorded sacrosanct status in translation studies. Recent developments in translation and technology, combined with the increasingly prominent role of translation in the global marketplace, have given the discipline a renewed significance both academically and culturally. In Palestine, however, translator training has for many years subsisted on limited resources, despite the fact that translation, in most Palestinian universities English departments, has been a requisite course in English language and literature degrees at undergraduate level for the past four decades. Drawing on first-hand experience from teaching undergraduate translation courses at Al-Quds University and An-Najah National University, what this article attempts to investigate, then, is the status of translation teaching at the undergraduate level at English departments in Palestinian universities. To that effect, the paper uses a selective body of authentic translation examples and outlines some important issues which are indispensable to undergraduate translation teaching. The study offers advice and guidelines to university professors and instructors who do not have degrees and/or training in translation and find themselves obliged to teach undergraduate translation courses at their respective English departments.&nbsp

Age Minimization in Massive IoT via UAV Swarm: A Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning Approach

In many massive IoT communication scenarios, the IoT devices require coverage from dynamic units that can move close to the IoT devices and reduce the uplink energy consumption. A robust solution is to deploy a large number of UAVs (UAV swarm) to provide coverage and a better line of sight (LoS) for the IoT network. However, the study of these massive IoT scenarios with a massive number of serving units leads to high dimensional problems with high complexity. In this paper, we apply multi-agent deep reinforcement learning to address the high-dimensional problem that results from deploying a swarm of UAVs to collect fresh information from IoT devices. The target is to minimize the overall age of information in the IoT network. The results reveal that both cooperative and partially cooperative multi-agent deep reinforcement learning approaches are able to outperform the high-complexity centralized deep reinforcement learning approach, which stands helpless in large-scale networks

Meta-Learning Based Few Pilots Demodulation and Interference Cancellation For NOMA Uplink

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) is at the heart of a paradigm shift towards non-orthogonal communication due to its potential to scale well in massive deployments. Nevertheless, the overhead of channel estimation remains a key challenge in such scenarios. This paper introduces a data-driven, meta-learning-aided NOMA uplink model that minimizes the channel estimation overhead and does not require perfect channel knowledge. Unlike conventional deep learning successive interference cancellation (SICNet), Meta-Learning aided SIC (meta-SICNet) is able to share experience across different devices, facilitating learning for new incoming devices while reducing training overhead. Our results confirm that meta-SICNet outperforms classical SIC and conventional SICNet as it can achieve a lower symbol error rate with fewer pilots