We consider a switching system composed of a finite number of linear delay differential equations (DDEs). It has been shown that the stability of a switching system composed of a finite number of ...linear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) may be achieved by using a common Lyapunov function method switching rule. We modify this switching rule for ODE systems to a common Lyapunov functional method switching rule for DDE systems and show that it stabilizes our model. Our result uses a Riccati-type Lyapunov functional under a condition on the time delay.
We investigated the impact of three marriageable actions: normal-to-carrier, carrier-to-normal, and carrier-to-carrier marriages on thalassemia and carrier populations. The well-known strategy is ...limiting the carrier-to-carrier marriage to reduce the thalassemia population. Thus, the other two marriageable actions were often ignored. Other than a simple explanation of their genetic consequences, their important aspect in the thalassemia inheritance mechanism has never been studied at the population level. Moreover, there is no mathematical model investigating problem of interest for blood disorders at the population level. Hence, we developed a mathematical model to examine the possibility of eradication/reduction of thalassemia and carrier populations through each of the three marriageable actions in the long-term. We conducted computer simulations with the demographic data of the United Arab Emirates in which high thalassemia carrier prevalence is identified. We found that promoting more carrier-to-normal marriage will eventually have the same effects on marriage reconsideration for carrier-carrier couples, contributing to the reduction of the carrier population in the long-term. Interestingly, the normal-to-carrier marriage does not necessarily have a similar effect on thalassemia and carrier populations as that of the carrier-to-normal marriage. Thus, the two marriageable actions should be distinguished and also seriously considered in education and public awareness campaigns for thalassemia.
We consider here the design aspect of a real-time scheduler for a class of embedded systems. For this purpose, we design a feedback controller for a reservation-based CPU scheduler for soft real-time ...systems. The execution time of soft real-time systems, such as multimedia systems, portable MP3 players, personal digital assistants, cellular phones, and embedded Web servers is highly variable. Hence, it is crucial to assign an adequate amount of CPU resources for the running tasks to guarantee the quality of service. On the other hand, it is also important not to allocate the large amount of resources to avoid waste. The purpose of this paper is to attain the aforementioned crucial objectives for a class of embedded systems under real-time computing constraints. Specifically, we provide an analytical model for a real-time scheduler in terms of a switched system with time-varying uncertainty. Moreover, by using Lyapunov stability in a linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) framework, we design a state feedback controller that stabilizes the switched system. This, in fact, achieves the regulation of scheduling errors caused by time-varying uncertainty to a desired level. We extend an LMI-framework-based control scheme to a relatively new control application domain, i.e., a soft realtime scheduling domain. We provide performance analysis under scheduler simulation environments and implement a feedback bandwidth server scheduler under a real-time kernel simulator. In the simulation studies, the advantages of the controller design scheme are clearly highlighted in comparison with some conventional existing open-loop systems.
Objective
Along with rapid economic growth, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has undergone enormous sociocultural changes. Consequently, sociocultural and psychological factors, along with malnutrition ...and physical inactivity, have contributed to the high obesity rate. The objective of this study is to assess the long‐term impact of these new emerging factors on obesity among women in the UAE via mathematical modeling.
Methods
A differential equation model was developed considering psychological/social factors in population dynamics. It predicts the long‐term prevalence of obesity among women in the UAE under these factors by 2070. Computer simulations and a sensitivity analysis of the model were conducted to measure the impact of these factors on obesity.
Results
The model predicts the following: 80.07% of female UAE nationals will become overweight or have obesity and 60.19% will have obesity by 2070, and the population with abnormal eating behavior will increase to 15% by 2070. Psychological/social factors aggravate the obesity problems and can cause abnormal eating behavior to develop with little effect on weight reduction.
Conclusions
The obesity rate of female UAE nationals will continue to rise by 2070. Rising abnormal eating behavior caused by psychological/social factors is an emerging issue and should be recognized as a sign of escalating obesity problems in the UAE.
This paper studies the political economy of foreign direct investment (FDI) in interaction with labor market policies. It analyzes the setting of reform focused on deregulating labor markets as a ...political compromise pressured by the lobbying of an industry lobby and a trade union. Using a common agency model of lobbying, we show that the interest group’s influence is socially distortive towards less deregulation. Also, our political economy framework shows that, for large countries, exogenous FDI liberalization policies lead to deregulation in the labor market. For small countries, such policies enhance more labor market rigidities.
Labor market policies and FDI policy liberalization do not exhibit the same pattern across GCC countries. For instance, according to data from the Fraser Institute, FDI policy liberalization tends to ...go hand in hand with labor market deregulation in Bahrain and Oman. This is not necessarily the case for UAE, however. This paper develops a political economy model based on a common agency model of lobbying (Grossman and Helpman, 1994) and addresses these policy developments in GCC countries. It analyzes the setting of a reform towards deregulating labor markets (ease of hiring and firing rules) as a political compromise pressured by the political influence of a multinational firm and national citizens. Adapting the common agency model of lobbying to an autocratic setting, we show that groups’ influence is not distortive for a specific number of national citizens. Our political economy framework also suggests that the sponsorship system and its amendment helps explain the different patterns of regulation across GCC countries.
Labor market policies and FDI policy liberalization do not exhibit thesame pattern across GCC countries. For instance, according to datafrom the Fraser Institute, FDI policy liberalization tends to ...go hand inhand with labor market deregulation in Bahrain and Oman. This is notnecessarily the case for UAE, however. This paper develops a politicaleconomy model based on a common agency model of lobbying(Grossman and Helpman, 1994) and addresses these policy developmentsin GCC countries. It analyzes the setting of a reform towardsderegulating labor markets (ease of hiring and firing rules) as apolitical compromise pressured by the political influence of amultinational firm and national citizens. Adapting the commonagency model of lobbying to an autocratic setting, we show that groups’influence is not distortive for a specific number of national citizens.
Our political economy framework also suggests that the sponsorshipsystem and its amendment helps explain the different patterns ofregulation across GCC countries. KCI Citation Count: 0
This paper analyzes the setting of labor market reforms in the European Monetary Union (EMU), as a political compromise pressured by the lobbying of business interests and trade unions. Using a ...common agency model of lobbying, we model the impact of distorted and non-distorted Central Bank monetary policy on EMU member state incentives to reform its labor market. Paradoxically, a majority of citizens who do not support the reform can lead to an optimal level of reform. We also show that, in a context of EMU enlargement, inflationary policy generates a status quo if there is a majority of non-supporters. Surprisingly, inflationary policy enhances the reform if the share of non-supporters over supporters increases, and weakens it if this share decreases.
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