4,560 research outputs found

    The Diffusional Retardation of Phase Transitions of Drops in a Two-Component Medium

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    On the use of low-cost computer peripherals for the assessment of motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease – Quantification of bradykinesia using target tracking tasks

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    The potential of computer games peripherals to measure the motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s diseases is assessed. Of particular interest is the quantification of bradykinesia. Previous studies used modified or custom haptic interfaces, here an unmodified force feedback joystick and steering wheel are used with a laptop. During testing an on screen cursor moves in response to movements of the peripheral, the user has to track a continuously moving target (pursuit tracking), or move to a predetermined target (step tracking). All tasks use movement in the horizontal axis, allowing use of joystick or steering wheel. Two pursuit tracking tasks are evaluated, pseudo random movement, and a swept frequency task. Two step tracking tasks are evaluated, movement between two or between two of five fixed targets. Thirteen patients and five controls took part on a weekly basis. Patients were assessed for bradykinesia at each session using standard clinical measures. A range of quantitative measures was developed to allow comparison between and within patients and controls using ANOVA. Both peripherals are capable of discriminating between controls and patients, and between patients with different levels of bradykinesia. Recommendations for test procedures and peripherals are given

    Beyond master planning? New approaches to spatial planning in Ekurhuleni, South Africa

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    Traditional master planning has been criticised, but continues in various forms. This paper critically assesses an initiative by a South Africa metropolitan municipality to develop ‘local spatial developmen tframeworks’: comprehensive integrated plans dealing with 22 sectors, for some 103 areas, to guide land us edecisions and to provide a frame work for development. The paper concludes that despite some innovative aspects, several elements of traditional master planning were evident. New approaches to spatial planning were being shaped by older thinking, but also by the impact of a traditional land use management system.The findings point to the need for greater attention to debating alternative forms of spatial planning and their appro-priateness in various contexts.

    Utilization of Waste Corncobs as Mushroom Cultivication Media in the Pataan Village, Lamongan District

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    Background: Waste is part of environmental problems because the increase in volume of waste correlates with population growth and efforts to reduce waste are still limited. Pataan Village which is one of the villages in Sambeng Subdistrict is also inseparable from the garbage problem. Most of the household waste will be collected in the yard and then burned, both organic and inorganic waste. In Pataan Village, there is already a 3R Waste Disposal Site (TPS) which functions as a place to collect garbage and a place to sort waste, unfortunately it is not functioned optimally due to various obstacles. Purpose: Solve the problem of managing organic waste especially corncobs by maximizing it as a mushroom planting media. Method: Socialization, training and assistance of mushroom cultivation using corncobs media to youth groups who are members of the Karang Taruna Organizations in Pataan Village. Results: The results of training and assistance for 25 days, it can be noted that the optimization of corncobs as a medium for mushroom cultivation can be an effective solution in handling the waste problem in Pataan Village and has the potential to bring up new commodities in Pataan Village in the form of janggel mushrooms. Conclusion:Partners get increased knowledge and skills in utilizing corncobs as a medium for cultivating janggel mushrooms. So that in the next period can be given about how the processing of the janggel mushroom in order to have added value

    Optimal Land Use for Rainfall-Runoff Transformation in Wae Ruhu Watershed

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    Flooding hit the island of Ambon in 2012 and 2013. Many analyzes has been developed to estimate the cause of the flooding. The study aims topredict optimal land management for reducing run-off. The method is simulation of CN value based on spatial analysis on watershed characteristics.The rainfall can\u27t be managed by watershed. The level of run-off can be determined by CN value that depends on the type of land cover. The resultshows that the land cover has changed about 90 ha, with the higher rainfall intensity is 2.118 in 2013. The result of simulation indicated that tochange of shrub and bare land, mix dryland forest, and secondary dryland forest with agroforestry. Agroforestry can decrease run-off amount 0,86%.The change of land cover and high rainfall are the main factors that caused the flooding in 2012 and 2013. It is necessary to add a rainfallobservation station so that the observation of surface flow can be done well

    On the rotational dynamics of magnetically threaded disks around neutron stars

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    We investigate the rotational dynamics of disk accretion around a strongly magnetized neutron star with an aligned dipole field. The magnetospheric field is assumed to thread the disk plasma both inside and outside the corotation radius. As a result of disk-star interaction, the magnetic torque on the disk affects the structure of accretion flow to yield the observed spin- up or spin- down rates for a source of given fastness, magnetic field strength, and mass accretion rate. Within the model we obtain a prescription for the dynamical viscosity of such magnetically modified solutions for a Keplerian disk. We then use this prescription to find a model solution for the rotation rate profile throughout the entire disk, including the non-Keplerian inner disk. We find that the non-Keplerian angular velocity transition region is not necessarily narrow for a source of given spin state. The boundary layer approximation, as in the standard magnetically threaded disk model, holds only in the case of dynamical viscosity decreasing all the way to the innermost edge of the disk. These results are applied to several observed disk-fed X-ray pulsars that have exhibited quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). The QPO frequencies provide a constraint on the fastness parameter and enable one to determine uniquely the width of the angular velocity transition zone for each source within model assumptions. We discuss the implications of these results on the value of the critical fastness parameter for a magnetized star in spin equilibrium. Applications of our model are also made with relevant parameters from recent numerical simulations of quasi-stationary disk - magnetized star interactions
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