Feedback Procedure Research Articles

ВИБІР ОПТИМАЛЬНОГО ПІДХОДУ ДО ВИРІШЕННЯ ПРОБЛЕМ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ (В УМОВАХ РЕФОРМУВАННЯ ДЕРЖАВНОГО УПРАВЛІННЯ)

The article provides a deep analysis of the issues related to the definition of the optimalapproach for resolution of the problems regarding the State policy implementation. It is justifiedthat this issue becomes extremely important in the framework of the public administration reformimplementation. The notion “ benefits and costs analysis” is defined as a method of decisions’evaluation on the policy level which expresses the value of the policy results (in the monetarydimension) for all members of the society. It is underlined that the benefits and costs analysisis used today in the process of the development of the political decisions, programs, normativeand legal acts as well as in the realization of other State policy activities. It is note that there are two types of the benefits and costs analysis: ex ante (which is used in the preparatory stage of a political decision) as well as ex post (after implementation of a project and a political decision). Itis highlighted the issues regarding appearance and further evolution of these tools in Ukraine andother countries. It is noted that monitoring allows to describe the correlation (ratio) between thepolicy actions and the policy results that represent primary data source for policy implementation.It is explained that the system of monitoring and impact analysis of the State policy should have thefeedback with the issues regarding realization and reform of the legislation. Considering the abovementioned,it is underlined that the legislative initiative subjects should include in the new bills theprovisions which determine the feedback procedures. On the basis of the conducted research, it ispresented the practical recommendations regarding further implementation of the new innovativetools of the policy analysis in the activity of the State bodies, in particular in taking into account themain objectives of the public administration reform.two types of the benefits and costs analysis: ex ante (which is used in the preparatory stage of a

Controlling the Chaos of Logistic Map using Switching Strategy

In our very recent work (2019), we extended the stability performance of logistic map up to a higher value of r using SP orbit. In this article, we further extend this range of stability by adopting switching strategy (Parrondo’s Paradox) of controlling the chaos of dynamical systems. We observe that even the earlier chaotic orbits of four step feedback procedure can be converted into periodic orbits. Our approach can be used to solve a wider circle of engineering problems.

Bifurcation Analysis of Logistic Map Using Four Step Feedback Procedure

The logistic map occupies a renowned place in the dynamics of chaos theory and in diverse areas of science. Picard orbit and Superior orbit (Mann orbit) have been used to control this discrete chaotic dynamical system. In this article, we further extend the analytical study of logistic map using a four step feedback procedure (SP orbit). The dynamical properties such as fixed point, range of convergence and stability, periodicity and chaos of the logistic map have been investigated. These properties are illustrated experimentally by adopting dynamical techniques like fixed point analysis and bifurcation plot. Using this approach, one can easily control the chaotic system and make the system stable for higher values of population growth parameter r by selecting the control parameters carefully.

The Effect of a Mediation-Blocking Task on the Acquisition of Instructive Feedback Targets.

The inclusion of instructive feedback in discrete-trial training has been shown to increase the efficiency of learning. However, the behavioral mechanism underlying the effectiveness of this procedure has not yet been determined. Researchers have suggested that learners covertly self-echo the feedback, which mediates later responding. The present study sought to understand the role of self-echoics in the acquisition of untaught targets. Participants were directly taught to tact pictures, then given instructive feedback after the praise statement. The 3 experimental conditions were (a) a typical instructive feedback procedure; (b) a vocal mediation-blocking procedure, in which the participants were asked to engage in a competing vocal response immediately after the instructive feedback; and (c) a motor-distraction procedure, in which the participants were asked to engage in a motor response immediately after the instructive feedback. The inclusion of the vocal mediation-blocking task had little effect on the participants' ability to learn the instructive feedback targets for all 3 participants.

The Effects of Instructive Feedback and Stimulus Equivalence Procedures on Group Instructional Outcomes

The current study combined equivalence-based instruction and instructive feedback (IF) with two groups of children with autism spectrum disorder. For group 1, three sets of three targets were tested, and for group 2, two sets of three targets were tested. For each target stimulus, the following verbal operants were evaluated: (1) tact name, (2) tact feature, (3) name-feature intraverbal, and (4) feature-name intraverbal. Following individual across set probes (ASP) sessions evaluating all targets in all sets, group treatment was conducted with set 1. During group treatment, tact training was provided to each participant relating to his/her assigned target and IF relating to a feature of the target was provided. Once daily probe data indicated all targets were mastered by the assigned participant, ASP were repeated. This process was repeated across all evaluated sets in the form of a multiple probe design. Results indicated robust responding for three participants, with evidence of responding to observational targets, secondary targets (related to the IF), and emergence of intraverbal responses. A fourth participant showed moderate levels of correct responding, particularly with observational targets. Overall, results suggest that group IF and stimulus equivalence are viable interventions for some children with ASD.

Course Evaluation for Low Pass Rate Improvement in Engineering Education

A course evaluation is a process that includes evaluations of lecturers’ teaching performances and their course material moderations. These two procedures are usually implemented, whether officially by the faculty of engineering or by lecturers’ own initiatives, to help identify lecturers’ strengths and weaknesses and the ways forward to improve their performances and their qualities of teaching. This paper presents different ways of implementing these two criteria from students’ and professionals’ perspectives. Official questionnaires from the faculty of engineering, personal questionnaires using Google surveys, Moodle and special designed forms have been used for moderation and evaluations. The process of evaluation is the core of a feedback procedure followed by universities in order for them to monitor the teaching quality of their staff. Satisfactory results show that such a process can improve the lecturers’ teaching performances, courses material quality, students’ satisfaction and performances, and finally the pass rate of the class.

Using auditory feedback to improve striking for mixed martial artists

The purpose of this study was to evaluate auditory feedback to increase the effectiveness of throwing a “right cross.” Auditory feedback, implemented by the mixed martial arts coach, was evaluated in multiple baselines across participants design with four mixed martial arts students, two males and two females, 25–54 years old. The target behavior was the percentage of correct steps in the 20‐step task analysis of throwing a right cross. In the auditory feedback procedure, the coach used a handheld clicker and make the clicking sound as a reinforcer each time the participant performed a specific step in the task analysis correctly. This process continued until all steps were performed correctly. The percentage of correct steps of the right cross improved substantially during assessment sessions following the introduction of the auditory feedback and maintained at 90% or more for all participants during follow‐up. Improvements were also noted in the social validity assessment.

Difference Frequency Generation-based ultralow threshold Optical Bistability in graphene at visible frequencies, an experimental realization

We experimentally show that Difference Frequency Generation (DFG) can efficiently occur in a graphene ink for a visible pump-probe radiation in consequence of the second order nonlinear optical response of graphene. DFG induces the local field enhancement over the graphene sheets and subsequently motivates Surface Plasmons (SPs). We then show that SPs can appear as internal feedback entities to realize Optical Bistability (OB) if a large nonlinear response is guaranteed. However, the figure of merit is the experimental demonstration of ultralow rise/fall threshold OB process, not only by using no external feedback procedure but also caused by a single visible guide beam (in contrast to the double pump-probe radiation). The reason is inferred as the presence of strong Raman scattering which in turn triggers a probe radiation interacting with the guide beam as the pump radiation. We repeat the experiment for different wavelengths/nonlinear medium lengths. We deduce that the smaller lengths as well as the larger wavelengths demonstrate better OB features. We previously bring a simple theory, yet mathematically rigorous to interpret the effects. Then, conforming to the Ishikawa's theory of the graphene nonlinear optical response as the interplay of both interband and intraband transitions, we indicate the agreement between the experimental observations and simulation results. Our experimental results can delineate a plain route for Raman scattering and the other elastic scattering mechanisms within the complex medium of graphene ink, breeding thus the connected theory development. On the other hand, since the low threshold OB can be used to sense SPs' formation elaborately, our proposed approach to control SPs via a single visible beam can be extended to the potential applications like the optical switching, plasmonic wave generation, sensing, etc. with the purpose of energy saving.

Optimal transport network design for both traffic safety and risk equity considerations

Traffic safety planning is one of the most cutting-edge research directions, which regards traffic safety as the main indicator of sustainable transportation. Although traffic safety has been widely recognized, it is rarely considered during the transport network design stage. Moreover, traffic safety performance usually refers to the total number of traffic accidents while the risk equity issues are given much less attention by transportation planners and managers. In this paper, a novel bi-objective bi-level model framework is formulated that explicitly captures the leader-follower nature of the relationship between authorities and travelers. In the upper-level, authorities design transport network by optimizing the impact of investment in terms of both total risk and risk equity. In the lower-level, a sequential four-step model with feedback is formulated to represent travelers' behavior responds to transport network design. The feedback procedure can converge to transport system equilibrium that is further fed back to the upper-level to measure network safety performances. To solve the proposed bi-level model, an efficient algorithm, named Dirichlet allocation algorithm, is designed on the basis of Dirichlet distribution, Method of successive averages (MSA), Frank–Wolfe algorithm and Dijkstra's algorithm. A simulated example using Nguyen-Dupuis network is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. The results show that transport network design has a great impact on traffic safety performances. The optimal network design can reduce traffic accidents and improve risk equity significantly from very beginning. The modeling framework can be a valuable tool for active safety planning. It provides valuable implications for network designers on how to design transport network for traffic safety and risk equity simultaneously.

Millimeter Wave SDMA With Limited Feedback: RF-Only Beamforming Can Outperform Hybrid Beamforming

Millimeter wave (mmWave) beamforming (BF) system can increase the spatial capacity by being installed in hotspot areas where a number of users exist. However, it is hard to obtain the channel state information of a large array system at transmitter. Even with the codebook-based BF scheme, the digital-analog hybrid BF structure may require a two-step feedback procedure. In order to reduce the feedback and feedforward overhead required for joint user scheduling and hybrid BF, we propose a codebook-based radio frequency (RF) only BF scheme with one-step feedback procedure. We show that the achievable sum rate of the RF-only BF scheme double-logarithmically scales with the number of users in mmWave channel model, which coincides with the results for the digital BF schemes in rich scattering channel model. We also show that the RF-only BF scheme can outperform the hybrid BF scheme with limited feedback. In addition, we examine the error performance in extremely sparse channel, and find the number of transmitted beams to achieve the desired rate per user in a small number of users regime.

Promoting and impeding safety – A qualitative study into direct and indirect safety leadership practices of constructions site managers

Managerial leadership is an essential element in preventing occupational risk and increasing safety performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate construction site managers’ experiences of how their leadership practices influence safety performance at construction sites in order to expand present knowledge on the influence of leadership on occupational safety. The critical incident technique was applied in interviews with 37 construction site managers. The results provide detailed descriptions of how construction site managers both promote and impede construction site safety performance through their leadership behaviour. The core leadership behaviours involved in positively influencing safety were found to be continuous planning and coordination, role modelling, monitoring work and proactively correcting deviations. Negative safety leadership was found to emerge when site managers were subjected to positive feedback to meet deadlines, minimise costs and refrain from unpopular leadership behaviour. Positive safety leadership may therefore be encouraged by minimizing such feedback and/or providing site managers with positive feedback for engaging in planning, coordinating, role modelling, and monitoring. It may also be encouraged by training and coaching site managers to acknowledge their leadership responsibilities, to communicate clear expectations, to execute individual and collective risk-assessment, and to execute proactive monitoring and feedback procedures.

A Comparison of Secondary Target Location in Instructive Feedback Procedures

Instructive feedback (IF) is an effective strategy for increasing the efficiency of targeted instruction. Although effective, the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of secondary targets via IF are unknown. In the current investigation, two forms of IF were compared to determine if indiscriminable contingencies were responsible, in part, for the acquisition of secondary targets during IF procedures. During teaching, IF stimuli were presented either before or after the praise statement for mastered tacts to two learners with autism spectrum disorders. Across both participants, IF before the praise statement resulted in faster acquisition of secondary targets that were maintained for 16–18 weeks post intervention. These results extend the IF literature by providing evidence that acquisition of secondary targets via IF may at least partially attributed to the occurrence of indiscriminable contingencies.

The modulation of the evaluative priming effect by phasic affect

Previous research suggests that affect modulates the sequential priming effect such that positive affect yields robust sequential priming effects, whereas negative affect inhibits them. Although this observation has received substantial empirical support for semantic priming effects (i.e., faster responding to a target word following the earlier presentation of a meaningfully related prime), the evidence is rather scant concerning evaluative priming effects (i.e., faster and/or more accurate evaluative responding to a target word when it is preceded by an evaluatively consistent rather than an evaluatively inconsistent prime). The present research aimed at filling this gap, demonstrating the impact of phasic (temporally short-lived) affect on evaluative priming effects. In doing so, we addressed the shortcomings of previous research as we implemented affective contexts that changed from trial to trial in a within-participants design. In Experiments 1 and 2, brief positive music excerpts yielded a reliable evaluative priming effect, whereas brief negative excerpts inhibited it. In Experiment 3, we replicated and generalized these findings using a proprioceptive facial feedback procedure. Our results corroborate and extend previous research by showing that brief negative affect inhibits priming effects as compared to brief positive affect or a control condition. These findings attest to the flexibility of the evaluative priming effect and suggest it is permeable to subtle affective contexts that influence its magnitude.

Effects of Sleep Fragmentation and Induced Mood on Pain Tolerance and Pain Sensitivity in Young Healthy Adults.

Background: Experimental research exploring the sleep/pain-relationship has typically focused on total or partial sleep deprivation, hereby failing to reproduce the mere fragmented sleep pattern typically observed in patients with chronic pain. Further, little research is done on how affect moderates the sleep–pain relationship after sleep fragmentation. The present study sought to clarify the relationship between pain, sleep and positive and negative affect.Methods: In an experimental counterbalanced crossover design, 35 healthy young adults were subjected to several pain measures after one night of fragmented sleep, compared to one control night of normal sleep, both conducted in their own homes, and respectively, positive and negative affect induction using validated film clips and facial feedback procedures. Sleep was monitored using sleep diaries.Results: Increased pain sensitivity after one night of experimentally induced sleep fragmentation was found, compared to after one control night of undisturbed sleep. No main effects of induced affect on pain were found, and sleep x induced affect interaction was not significant.Conclusion: The present study supports the adverse effect of sleep fragmentation on pain sensitivity, however, affect was not found to be a moderator in the sleep–pain relationship. The results underline the need for further research within this field.

“Ehalati”: Evaluation of the Referral System in Primary Health Care Centres in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: The burden of diseases has changed in recent years, and chronic Non-Communicable Diseases NCD have become an emerging pandemic in Saudi Arabia. At the same time, healthcare provision is shifting from free services provided directly by the state to a privatised model of healthcare delivery. An effective referral system is fundamental to manage the potential fragmentation of privatisation, and provide the integrated care needed to meet the NCD challenge. This paper evaluates the current “Ehalati” referral system; “Ehalati” is an Arabic word means “my referral”. It examines the experiences of physicians working within this referral system, from the assessment to the monitoring of referred patients. It pays particular attention to the referral processes for patients with chronic NCD in Primary Health Centres [PHCs]. Method: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted in 15 PHCs of the Ministry of Health MOH in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Nineteen physicians from these PHCs were interviewed using questions drawn from the Referral System Assessment and Monitoring RSAM evaluation tool. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results: The current referral system falls well short of ideal integrated care. Physicians reported that the feedback procedure was almost non-existent. Although referral protocols and guidelines existed, these were not available in all PHCs. The system relies on accurate knowledge of the referral network, but directories of hospitals in the network were not available in all PHCs. When we asked physicians “how do you know the type of services provided in a hospital,” their response was clearly “don’t know.” There is consistency between the referral information reported in the referral letters in all PHCs. Some physicians were unhappy about the patients’ role in the referral letter that is generated only “Upon Patient’s Request.” Data of the referrals were collected and analysed in most PHCs. Most of these analyses were sent to MOH’s “Ehalati” management. Some physicians reported that these analyses should be shared with and among physicians. There was no standard satisfaction measurement for referred patients. It found that uneven availability of training of physicians. Training for physicians on the referral guideline and system was not available for all of them. Most physicians reported that the current referral system and appointment time management limits the choices of referrals. Physicians cannot track or monitor their patients, and they do not know if patients completed the referral unless patients tell them verbally. Discussion: Physicians complained about not receiving feedback from hospitals, this aligns with previous studies that reported low feedback rate with poor quality 1. Conclusion: Improvement to the referral system is needed, particularly appointment time management, provision of up to date directory of hospitals, training to the physicians from primary care and an improved increased awareness of the significance of feedback from hospitals. Lessons learned: Involvement of patients in the evaluation of the referral system is essential. Limitations: Study was conducted only in one city and findings may not be applicable to other cities. Suggestion for future research: Future research should be focusing on feedback procedures from hospitals to PHCs.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Integration of Technological Advances in Cognitive-Behavior Therapy

A wide range of technological approaches has been adopted in assessment and intervention using cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). The articles that comprise this special issue cover a diversity of areas, including motion-tracking devices, ecological momentary assessment, facial recognition software to provide rapid feedback, audio and tablet-based CBT-administered procedures, web-based acceptance program for stress reduction, and videoconferencing for delivery of anxiety treatment in youth. It is expected that technological advances will continue to lead to additional advances in CBT delivery.

Chaotic behavior of logistic map in superior orbit and an improved chaos-based traffic control model

With a vital role of discrete chaos, standard logistic map has found a celebrated place in the dynamics of chaos theory and in various applications of science, such as a discrete traffic flow model, image encryption in cryptography, secure communication, and weather forecasting. Traditionally, this discrete chaos is controlled by one parameter $$\lambda $$ using Picard orbit, a one-step feedback procedure. This article presents a one-step forward, applying Mann orbit (superior orbit) the chaotic properties such as period-doubling, period-3 window, and Lyapunov exponent of the standard logistic map is investigated. The results are illustrated analytically and experimentally followed by concluding remarks and a few counter examples. Due to the extra degree of freedom in parameter $$\lambda $$ , the map provides improved chaotic properties that increases the performance of dynamical phenomena. Moreover, this study describes an improved chaos-based discrete traffic control model. Surprisingly, added new parameter $$\alpha $$ in Mann orbit works as control variable that increases the stability performance of the traffic model.

Optimization of turbulence reduced model free parameters based on L‐mode experiments and 2D transport simulations

In this paper, a κ−ϵ transport model is presented as a turbulence reduction tool for a typical ohmic L‐mode discharge plasma in a divertor‐configurated tokamak. Taking a Tokamak à configuration variable (TCV) study case, a feedback loop procedure is performed using the SolEdge2D code to acquire plasma diffusivity at the outer mid‐plane. The κ−ϵ model is calibrated through its free parameters with the aim of recovering the diffusivity calculated in the feedback procedure. Finally, it is shown that the model can self‐consistently calculate diffusivity in the whole domain, recovering the poloidal asymmetries due to interchange instabilities.

Teaching Non-target Information to Children with Disabilities: An Examination of Instructive Feedback Literature

Systematic trial-based learning procedures are commonly used to teach students with disabilities in special education settings. Instructive feedback is a procedure created to increase the efficiency of trial-based learning procedures. It involves the planned addition of non-target information that is systematically placed in the consequent events of learning trials. This systematic review examines the instructive feedback literature that was conducted since the only previous review was published in 1995. An extensive search of published and gray literature yielded a total of 54 eligible studies. Across studies, participants acquired an average of 64% of the non-target information presented through the instructive feedback procedure. In group studies of instructive feedback, participants exhibited an average gain of 55% of the extra information provided to peers. Results suggest that the instructive feedback procedure can be used to increase the efficiency of trial-based learning for students with disabilities of all ages. Instructive feedback is recommended as an effective strategy for enhancing trial-based teaching procedures for students with disabilities.

Analyzing Coverage Probability of Multitier Heterogeneous Networks Under Quantized Multiuser ZF Beamforming

In this paper, we analyze the coverage probability of a large-scale heterogenous cellular network (HetNet) where base stations (BSs) are equipped with multiantennas, serving a number of single-antenna user equipments (UEs) in the downlink—space division multiple access (SDMA). Adopting the tool of stochastic geometry, we analyze the coverage probability under the quantized zero-forcing beamforming (ZFBF). This analysis, however, intricate as a typical UE in a given cell experiences: i) a residual inter-user interference (IUI) rendered by the quantization error; ii) quantization-driven statistical correlation between its attending signal power and IUI; iii) Nakagami-type fading environment, induced by postprocessing ZFBF; and iv) intercell interference (ICI). Current related literature has not effectively accounted for issues (i), (ii), and (iv) and commonly resorted to simplifying scenarios of full SDMA (i.e., exponential fading), independency of IUI and attending signal power, approximating IUI via an exponential random variable, and the quantization cell approximation (QCA). Our analysis relaxes such limiting assumptions; it includes the more relevant random vector quantization (RVQ) method, and compared to the literature, does not resort to the evaluation of a higher order differentiation for the evaluation of the coverage probability by exploiting our previously developed method. We further introduce three novel approximations of the coverage probability: RVQ-M , RVG-G , and QCA , which the first two approximations are given in semi-closed-form formulas (requiring a simple integration step) and the last approximation is in a closed-form expression. All approximations are numerically affordable, and we confirm the RVG-G approximation is the most accurate one. Finally, we exploit our analysis to study several practically insightful issues to shed some lights on: 1) for given feedback capacity and number of UEs, when desification becomes beneficial; 2) how multitierness of HetNets can be exploited for substantially reducing feedback capacity; and 3) an adaptive share of feedback capacity for the purpose of CDI as well as channel quality information (CQI) feedbacks, when there is an uplink penalty subjected for the feedback procedure and the scheduled data rate at each BS is specified adaptively based on the quantized CQI.