Optimization of Antiosteoporotic Therapy in Patients with Liver Fibrosis

The purpose of the study: to investigate the effect of zolendronic acid on bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis and fibrotic changes of the liver due to steatohepatitis. Materials and methods. We examined 28 female patients with a mean age of 55.3±4.7 years with decreased bone mineral density, nonalcoholic steatohepatosis and liver fibrosis. All studied patients were in menopause duration of 7.8±3.5 years. For inclusion in the study, all patients were excluded from the presence of comorbidities. The degree of liver fibrosis was determined on the basis of 2D shear wave elastometry by transcutaneous access by the method of shear wave in the SWE mode. The study included patients with liver fibrosis F1 - F3 on METAVIR. Determination of bone mineral density was performed using an X-ray densitometer DEXXUM T by dual energy absorption. Results and discussion. The initial level of liver tissue stiffness in the studied patients was 8.52±1.12 kPa, which corresponded to the stage of fibrosis F2 - F3 according to METAVIR. Isolated decrease in lumbar spine mineral density was diagnosed in 20 patients, 8 patients had a combination of decreased spinal mineral density with decreased femoral mineral density, mean T vertebral T-test was -2.25±0.2, mean femoral neck T-test was -1, 9±0.3. In order to maintain and restore bone mineral density, these patients were advised to minimize the factors that contribute to bone loss, mainly by stopping alcohol and smoking. Patients were advised to exercise as much as possible under the supervision of a rehabilitologist, especially to do exercises aimed at improving the mechanics of the spine. One year after administration of 5 mg zolendronic acid intravenously and daily intake of 1500 mg calcium and 800 IU vitamin D the level of liver tissue stiffness in the studied patients was 7.69±1.14 kPa, which corresponded to the stage of fibrosis F2 - F3 according to METAVIR and not due to a moderate decrease in indicators, there was no statistically significant difference. Isolated decrease in lumbar spine mineral density was diagnosed in 19 patients, in 9 patients there was a combination of decrease in spinal mineral density with decrease in femur mineral density, the average criterion of T vertebrae was 1.1±0.3 (p=0.032), the average criterion of T femoral neck -0.9±0.3 (p=0.029). The study of the level of alaline transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase did not reveal any abnormalities. After administration of zolendronic acid in 7 patients there was an increase in temperature to febrile levels within 2-3 days. None of the patients showed signs of bone fractures of any localization during the observation period. Conclusion. Thus, the administration of zolendronic acid to patients with decreased bone mineral density on the background of fibrous changes in liver tissue due to steatohepatitis is safe and highly effective

CONSTRUCTION OF AN ISLAMIC INDEX USING THE MEDIAN CRITERION OF QUANTITATIVE FILTERS: APPLICATION TO THE AFRICAN STOCK EXCHANGE

Many techniques, combining qualitative and quantitative filters, have been proposed in the literature to construct an Islamic index on financial stock exchange. These are often based on fixed thresholds to define quantitative filters. However, as companies do not have the same characteristics from one sector to another, it is necessary to have heterogeneous thresholds for filtering purposes. Our contribution, here, is to propose a methodology which integrates this fact by using the median (statistic) criterion which is much more robust than the average criterion (vis-à-vis the presence of extreme values) but also the median statistic is consistent with the Wassatiya principle (50% of the way) than the 33% fraction used by many studies.

Average-Reward Reinforcement Learning with Trust Region Methods

Most of reinforcement learning algorithms optimize the discounted criterion which is beneficial to accelerate the convergence and reduce the variance of estimates. Although the discounted criterion is appropriate for certain tasks such as financial related problems, many engineering problems treat future rewards equally and prefer a long-run average criterion. In this paper, we study the reinforcement learning problem with the long-run average criterion. Firstly, we develop a unified trust region theory with discounted and average criteria. With the average criterion, a novel performance bound within the trust region is derived with the Perturbation Analysis (PA) theory. Secondly, we propose a practical algorithm named Average Policy Optimization (APO), which improves the value estimation with a novel technique named Average Value Constraint. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first one to study the trust region approach with the average criterion and it complements the framework of reinforcement learning beyond the discounted criterion. Finally, experiments are conducted in the continuous control environment MuJoCo. In most tasks, APO performs better than the discounted PPO, which demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach.

Controlled Switching Diffusions Under Ambiguity: The Average Criterion

This paper concerns controlled switching diffusions. In particular, we consider that the drift coefficient of the diffusion process depends on an unknown (and possibly nonobservable) parameter. For giving solution to our control problem, we formulate it as a game against nature, where the ambiguity is represented by nature that chooses values of the unknown parameter through actions so playing the role as an opposite player of the controller. Our objective is to give conditions to characterize the ergodic optimality and guarantee the existence of optiaml policies for the central controller. Finally, we provide two examples to illustrate our results.

APPROACHES TO THE CREATION OF INFORMATION AND ANALYTICAL SYSTEM FOR EVALUATION OF EFFICIENCY OF MATHEMATICAL MODELS

The article is devoted to the substantiation of the choice of the basic technique of estimation of efficiency of mathematical models which could be accepted as the basic model at the development of the corresponding information-analytical system, and also the definition of those provisions which need to be considered in the specified basic technique. The study found that as a basic method of evaluating the effectiveness of mathematical models, it is advisable to adopt a methodology based on a combination of existing approaches to evaluating efficiency, the first of which concerns the implementation of stages of evaluating the feasibility of modeling, comparative evaluation of models, the second is the quantitative assessment of significant requirements for mathematical models of phenomena, processes, and systems. These approaches should complement each other at the macro and micro levels by implementing the properties of additivity and superposition of important provisions for modeling, which are different in different approaches. In this case, the main aspects that determine the necessary areas for improvement of the basic methodology are aspects related to the creation of instrumental methods for estimating the speed and material costs of creating a model and evaluating the research result obtained using modeling, as well as substantiation of analytical dependencies. to determine the average criterion assessment of the model, integrated assessment of incremental effects, reliability of modeling, relative average values of error introduced into model calculations due to generalized consideration of parameters and factors, dependence for absolute assessment of modeling completeness.

The Role of Principals and Administrators in Performance Appraisal of School Teachers in Punjab

Qualitative research was conducted in the interpretive paradigm using phenomenology as an approach to check the execution of the performance appraisal system (PAS) at higher secondary schools in Punjab. The population of the study consisted of key stakeholders of appraisal, higher secondary school principals, teachers, and district administration. 6 out of 36 districts were selected from school district rankings, each falling in poor, good, and average criterion. Participants of one district served as a pilot and the rest for the main study. A total of 35 participants were selected from five districts purposively; a selection criterion was used to select a set of one administrator, one principal and five teachers from each of the five districts. After obtaining consent from the participants, structured interviews were conducted with the school principals and district administrators, while the focus group was held with the teachers of each district using self-constructed interview protocols. Thematic analysis was performed on data obtained from different sources. Seven themes emerged during analysis reflected that the principals and teachers have enough knowledge and experience to conduct the PAS. It is a positive activity that must be continued; however, the procedure needs improvement. PAS should be planned and conducted with the consultation of teachers, motivating them for further improvement.

Penerapan Media Mind Mapping Tipe Network Tree untuk Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Siswa pada Mata Pelajaran Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial Madrasah Ibtidaiyah

This research is motivated by the low learning outcomes of grade 3 students at SDN 2 Cidolog on social studies subjects. This is by teaching social studies the teacher always uses conventional and monotonous learning media, while students are asked to memorize information that has been heard from their teacher. While social studies learning is required to develop students' thinking abilities, so students can become active can also solve a problem. In an effort to improve student learning outcomes, researchers used Mind Tree Mapping Network Tree Type. The method used is the Classroom Action Research Method (CAR) model of Kurt Lewin. Data collection techniques used were interviews, observation and tests. After conducting research, the authors conclude that: Student learning outcomes in social studies have increased as in the first cycle that is obtained an average value of 72.7 students with 9 complete criteria and 9 incomplete as many people. Cycle II, the average value of students was 83.6 with 13 students completing criteria and 5 students who were unfinished and Cycle III, 91.3 students with an average criterion of 17 students and 1 student who were incomplete

Movement Improves the Quality of Temporal Perception and Decision Making

Recent evidence suggest that our experience of time is directly and intrinsically computed within the motor system. Accordingly, a variety of studies have demonstrated that concurrent movement impacts the estimate of temporal duration, such that perceived time is shifted towards the duration of movement. In order to investigate the role of the motor system, we tested human subjects (n=40) on a novel task combining reaching and time perception. In this task, subjects were required to move a robotic manipulandum to one of two physical locations to categorize a concurrently timed suprasecond auditory stimulus as “long” or “short”, relative to a running average criterion. Critically, subjects were divided into two groups: one in which movement during the interval was unrestricted and subjects could move freely to their choice, and one in which they were restrained from moving until the stimulus interval had elapsed. Our results revealed a higher degree of precision for subjects in the free-moving group. By further decomposing choice and response time data with a drift diffusion model of decision making, we identified the source of this change to a shift in the response threshold for free-moving subjects. Analysis of movement parameters revealed that eventual choice could be determined by movement parameters (e.g. trajectory, force) before the response was made, and even before the interval had elapsed, and that the variability of these movements was lower in the unrestrained group. A further experiment (n=14) verified that these findings were not due to proximity to the target, counting strategies, bias, or movement length. Our findings suggest that perceptual timing may be instantiated within the motor system as an ongoing readout of timing judgment and confidence.

Motivasi Belajar Siswa Madrsah Aliyah dalam Mengikuti Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Arab dan Implikasinya dalam Layanan Bimbingan dan Konseling (Studi pada Siswa Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Sungai Penuh yang Berasal dari Sekolah Menengah Pertama)

Arabic language is the basic of all the religious subjects in Madrasah Aliyah. The student derived from senior high school, Arabic is the new subject in which they did not learn in SMP (junior high school), and it is possibly emerged the difficulty from them. This study describes the student’s learning motivation who derived from SMP in learning Arabic on the terms of perseverance on learning Arabic, the needs on learning Arabic, the expected of learning Arabic, and interested on learning Arabic. This research was a descriptive research by using quantitative approach. The population of this research was the Eleventh grade student of MAN 1 Sungai Penuh who derived from SMP in 2014/2015 academic years. The sample of this research was 124 students that had been choosen by proportional random sampling technique. The instrument used likert scale. Then analyzed by using statistic technique. The finding of the research shown that: 1) The level of students motivation derived from SMP on learning Arabic were the average rating, (a) On the subvariable of perseverance on learning Arabic was on the low criterion, (b) the subvariable of needs on learning Arabic was on the average criterion, (c) the subvariable expected on learning Arabic was on the low criterion (d) subvariable of interest on learning Arabic was on the low criterion. 2) The counseling services could be given to improve the student motivation on learning Arabic who derived from SMP which based on the result of this research were; oriented service, information service, the individual consult service, the group guiding service and the group consulting service.