Explanations of pedophilia: Review of empirical research

This article reviews empirical research to discover what support exists for theories that attempt to explain why adults become sexually interested in and involved with immature children. These theories are first organized into four basic categories: emotional congruence-why the adult congruence - why an emotional need to relate to a child; sexual arousl-why the adult could become sexually aroused by a child; blockage - why alternative sources of sexual and emotional gratification are not available; or disinhibition - why the adult is not deterred from such an interest by normal prohibitions. The review shows that the best experimental research has been directed toward establishing that pedophiles do not show an unusual pattern of sexual arousal toward children, although no good evidence yet exists about why this is so; a number of studies have concurred that pedophiles are blocked in their social and heterosexual relationships; the use of alcohol is well established as a disinhibiting factor that plays a role in a great many pedophile offenses; at least one study gives support to the \u27emotional congruence\u27 idea that children, because of their lack of dominance, have some special meaning for pedophiles; and there is evidence that many pedophiles were themselves victims of pedophile behavior when they were children. The article also demonstrates that pedophilia research is, in general, characterized by some serious theoretical and methodological flaws. As a result, caution should be exercised in generalizing findings until more careful research is undertaken

AN ANALYSIS OF EXPERIMENT STATION FUNDING DECISIONS

The decision-making process by which academic departments within an experiment station allocate funds among commodities is examined. The decision to conduct research on some commodities and not on others introduces a problem of censored dependent variables. In order to overcome this problem, a simultaneous equations model with selectivity was used; it was applied to data from the Idaho Experiment Station. The results indicated a simultaneous relationship between research funding levels and expected benefits. Marginal products of one dollar in research investment were $53.80 for applied research, and$8.49 for maintenance research.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Design of an adaptive neural predictive nonlinear controller for nonholonomic mobile robot system based on posture identifier in the presence of disturbance

This paper proposes an adaptive neural predictive nonlinear controller to guide a nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot during continuous and non-continuous gradients trajectory tracking. The structure of the controller consists of two models that describe the kinematics and dynamics of the mobile robot system and a feedforward neural controller. The models are modified Elman neural network and feedforward multi-layer perceptron respectively. The modified Elman neural network model is trained off-line and on-line stages to guarantee the outputs of the model accurately represent the actual outputs of the mobile robot system. The trained neural model acts as the position and orientation identifier. The feedforward neural controller is trained off-line and adaptive weights are adapted on-line to find the reference torques, which controls the steady-state outputs of the mobile robot system. The feedback neural controller is based on the posture neural identifier and quadratic performance index optimization algorithm to find the optimal torque action in the transient state for N-step-ahead prediction. General back propagation algorithm is used to learn the feedforward neural controller and the posture neural identifier. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive neural predictive control algorithm; this is demonstrated by the minimised tracking error and the smoothness of the torque control signal obtained with bounded external disturbances

SPILLOVERS AND THE RETURNS TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR POTATOES

Returns to investments in potato research were estimated for the United States and six subregions. The study combines time-series and cross-sectional data to estimate the supply response for potatoes. Two research variables, research within the state and within the region, were included as exogenous variables to identify spillovers of research results. The rate of return to investments in potato research in the U.S. is estimated at 79%. Of this, 31% accrues to states conducting the research and 69% is accounted for by the spillover effects.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Design of a cognitive neural predictive controller for mobile robot

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel UniversityIn this thesis, a cognitive neural predictive controller system has been designed to guide a nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot during continuous and non-continuous trajectory tracking and to navigate through static obstacles with collision-free and minimum tracking error. The structure of the controller consists of two layers; the first layer is a neural network system that controls the mobile robot actuators in order to track a desired path. The second layer of the controller is cognitive layer that collects information from the environment and plans the optimal path. In addition to this, it detects if there is any obstacle in the path so it can be avoided by re-planning the trajectory using particle swarm optimisation (PSO) technique. Two neural networks models are used: the first model is modified Elman recurrent neural network model that describes the kinematic and dynamic model of the mobile robot and it is trained off-line and on-line stages to guarantee that the outputs of the model will accurately represent the actual outputs of the mobile robot system. The trained neural model acts as the position and orientation identifier. The second model is feedforward multi-layer perceptron neural network that describes a feedforward neural controller and it is trained off-line and its weights are adapted on-line to find the reference torques, which controls the steady-state outputs of the mobile robot system. The feedback neural controller is based on the posture neural identifier and quadratic performance index predictive optimisation algorithm for N step-ahead prediction in order to find the optimal torque action in the transient to stabilise the tracking error of the mobile robot system when the trajectory of the robot is drifted from the desired path during transient state. Three controller methodologies were developed: the first is the feedback neural controller; the second is the nonlinear PID neural feedback controller and the third is nonlinear inverse dynamic neural feedback controller, based on the back-stepping method and Lyapunov criterion. The main advantages of the presented approaches are to plan an optimal path for itself avoiding obstructions by using intelligent (PSO) technique as well as the analytically derived control law, which has significantly high computational accuracy with predictive optimisation technique to obtain the optimal torques control action and lead to minimum tracking error of the mobile robot for different types of trajectories. The proposed control algorithm has been applied to monitor a nonholonomic wheeled mobile robot, has demonstrated the capability of tracking different trajectories with continuous gradients (lemniscates and circular) or non-continuous gradients (square) with bounded external disturbances and static obstacles. Simulations results and experimental work showed the effectiveness of the proposed cognitive neural predictive control algorithm; this is demonstrated by the minimised tracking error to less than (1 cm) and obtained smoothness of the torque control signal less than maximum torque (0.236 N.m), especially when external disturbances are applied and navigating through static obstacles. Results show that the five steps-ahead prediction algorithm has better performance compared to one step-ahead for all the control methodologies because of a more complex control structure and taking into account future values of the desired one, not only the current value, as with one step-ahead method. The mean-square error method is used for each component of the state error vector to compare between each of the performance control methodologies in order to give better control results

Testicular Sparing Surgery For A 5-Year- Old Boy with Sertoli's Cell Tumour of the Testis: Case Report

يعتبر ورم سارتولي للخصية من الأورام النادرة و هناك حالات قليلة جدا مسجلة. في هذه المقالة حالة جديدة لورم الخصية تم تسجيلها لحالة ولد عمره 5 سنوات يعاني من تورم الثديين و النضوج المبكر بسبب ورم سارتولي في الخصية اليسرى ومعالجته بعملية المحافظة عليها. و تم الاستنتاج بأن هذه العملية يمكن تطبيقها لمعالجة ورم سارتولي للخصية.Introduction: Steroli's cell tumors SCT are the rare testicular tumor. Very few cases were published in the literature. A new case of Sertoli's cell tumor that is reported and treated by testicular sparing surgery. Case Presentation: A 5-year-old boy with Sertoli' cell tumor presents with gynaecomastia and precocious puberty. He was treated by successful testicular sparing surgery. Conclusions: SCTs are rare testicular tumors. Testicular sparing surgery can be applied. &nbsp

Huge (Voluminous) Femoral hernia in a male (Case Report)

    من المعروف ان الفتق الفخذي اكثر شيوعا في المرضى الأناث منه في الذكور و في اكثر الأحيان يكون الفتق صغير الحجم و يشخص بعد حصول المضاعفات و هي اختناق الفتق.  هذه الحالة المرضية التي تم تسجيلها تشمل تشخيصا لفتق فخذي كبير جدا غير مختنق   لمريض ذكر عمره 54 سنة   بالأعتماد على الفحص السريري. و بعد اجراء التحاليل الطبية  اللازمة و اشعة الصدر تم اجراء العملية اللازمة لتصليح الفتق باستعمال الشبكة بدون مضاعفات وهذه تعتبر من الحالات النادرة. وتم متابعة المريض لمدة 18 شهرا بعد العملية دون رجوع الفتق.   Femoral hernia is usually of a small size. It is more common in females than males and presents in a strangulation. It is considered a huge (Voluminous) if it exceeds a volume of a fist.Herewith, A 54-year-old thin man presents with an irreducible but non-strangulated huge right femoral hernia. Diagnosis was confirmed by history and physical examination. Preoperative laboratory and chest x-ray were normal.  Open mesh repair was done with uneventful postoperative course. The patient was well after 18 months of operation without recurrence

Biosurfactant Production by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa 181

This study involves the screening of biosurfactant producers that have been isolated from crude oil bacteria degraders. The bacteria were isolated by qualitative screening on cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) agar plates and quantitative screening for biosurfactant production in liquid media. A biosurfactant producer identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa 181 was selected for further analysis. Maximum biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa 181 was achieved after 120 h incubation at pH 7.0 and 37°C. Static condition and 5.0% bacterial inoculum’s gave the optimum biosurfactant yield. Culture medium containing glucose as the carbon source; and casamino acids as the organic nitrogen source gave the highest level of biosurfactant production. Corn steep liquor and ammonium nitrate on the other hand inhibited biosurfactant production. However, the addition of metal ions such as Fe, Mg and Mn maximized biosurfactant synthesis.The biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa 181 was purified to homogeneity by acid precipitation and ammonium sulphate precipitation. Biosurfactant produced byPseudomonas aeruginosa 181 was stable and had a broad range of pH from 3.0 to 12.0 with the maximum activity (Surface Tension reduction and Emulsification Index (E24))exhibited at pH 7.0. The purified biosurfactant had a broad range of temperature and exhibited optimum activity at 30°C. This biosurfactant had high activity compared to many commercial surfactants with 0.1 mg critical micelle concentration (CMC). The purified biosurfactant had a maximum emulsification index (E24) of 86% with hexadecane,followed by 80% with nonane, dodecane,tridecane, pentadecane, octadecane and o- Xylene.Response surface methodology (RSM) was then used to study interactive effects of the parameters (pH, stirring rate, casamino acid concentration and incubation period) on the production of biosurfactants. Generally, simultaneously increasing surface tension reduction and emulsification index (E24) improved yields. Production carried out at larger volumes of 1L using Bioreactor under RSM-optimized conditions yielded 350.22 mg of products after purification by acid precipitation. Identities of isolated products were verified by using TLC, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography–Mass spectrometry (LC-MS), mass spectrometry (MS-MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and infraredspectroscopy (FT-IR), from analysis carried out the rhamnolipids were monorhamnolipids and dirhamnolipids

Evaluation of Physical Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Underground Wells in Badra City, Iraq

للحفاظ على نوعية مياه الابار بعيداً عن مصادر الملوثات يجب عمل فحوصات وقياسات مستمرة قبل استعمالها للأغراض المتعددة. لا تتلقى الآبار الخاصة نفس الخدمات التي توفرها الآبار العامة. أصحاب البئر هم المسؤولون عن حماية مياه الشرب، لذلك يجب أن يكون مالك البئر على دراية بينة من إمكانية تلوث ابارهم بشكل مباشر او غير مباشر وكذلك متابعة التأثيرات الصحية المحتملة التي يمكن أن تحدثها تلك الملوثات المحتملة. تم تنفيذ هذا العمل في مدينة بدرة في العراق في الفترة من ديسمبر 2017 إلى مايس 2018، وتم فحص ست آبار مياه لتحديد الخصائص العامة للآبار بالإضافة إلى دراسة تأثير العوامل البيئية على جودة المياه. وأجريت الاختبارات الفيزيائية والكيميائية والمكروبيولوجية بما في ذلك تم تضمين العديد من العوامل بما فيها العوامل المناخية ومنها درجة حرارة الهواء والمطر الرطوبة وكذلك الكشف عن وجود المعادن الثقيلة، وشملت التحقيقات المكروبيولوجية، مجموع عدد البكتريا والكشف عن وجود الكوليرا والسالمونيلا. أظهرت نتائج الدراسة وجود احدى عشر قياس تكون خارج الحدود المسموح بها ضمن المواصفات العالمية للمياه وكذلك العراقية، وهي: التوصيلية الكهربائية، الملوحة، القاعدية، العسرة الكلية، الاملاح الذائبة الكلية، الصوديوم، الكالسيوم، الكلوريد، السلفات، الحديد، الزنك ومعدلات قيمها للآبار الستة المدروسة هي على التوالي: (4402-5183 /cm, 2.76-3.9 ppt, 302-366mg/L, 3164-4248 mg/L, 604-675 mg/L, 375-524 mg/L, 635-871 mg/L, 631-1107 mg/L, 2430-4570 g/L, 114-392 g/L). وشملت الدراسة التحقيقات المكروبيولوجية مجموع القولونيات، مجموع عدد البكتريا، والكشف عن وجود السالمونيلا و الكوليرا. وتظهر النتائج أن هناك علاقة ذات دلالة إحصائية بين زيادة مجموع العكارة والمذابات، تعتبر الاشريشيا كولاي من الملوثات البيولوجية المهمة المسببة للتلوث البكتيري ووجدت المواد الكيميائية مثل الحديد والزنك والسلفات وبقية العوامل الكيميائية مؤشراً هاماً لوجود مصدراً للتلوث الكيميائي. ووجد ان الابار 5،4،3 فيها مؤشرات معنوية عن وجود E.coli التي تعتبر مصدراً مهماً للتلوث المايكروبي، والذي يعد إنذارًا مهماً لأن هذا الماء له تأثير مؤثر هاماً ومباشراً على صحة الإنسان والحيوان. ينصح بشدة بطريقة متقدمة للكشف السريع لمياه الآبار لتجنب أي مشاكل صحية ومنع وصول الملوثات لتفادي المخاطر الصحية والبيئية.The quality of groundwater should be improved by keeping safe water sources from contaminants in protective way by doing regular measuring and checkup before it supplied for usage. Private Wells do not receive the same services that wells supplying the public do. Well owners are responsible for protecting their drinking water. This work was carried out in Badra city, Iraq from December 2017 to May 2018, six wells water were investigated to determine the general characteristics of wells as well as studying the effect of environmental factors on the quality of water. The average of six wells were eleven parameters that is out of permissible limits were EC, Sal., Alk., TH, TDS, Na, Ca, Cl, SO4, Fe, Zn (4402-5183 /cm, 2.76-3.9 ppt, 302-366mg/L, 3164-4248 mg/L, 604-675 mg/L, 375-524 mg/L, 635-871 mg/L, 631-1107 mg/L, 2430-4570 g/L, 114-392 g/L). Respectively, microbiological investigations involved the total coliform, total plate count, as well as the detection for the presence of E. coli, Salmonella and Cholera.  Results shows that there is a significant relation between the increasing of the TDS and Turbidity, TDS gives an indication for the significant increasing of chemical ions. Wells number 3, 4 and 5 showed gave positive results for E.coli growth which as a source of microbial pollution. Detection for the presence of chemical and microbial contaminate is an important alarm since this water has a direct effect on the human and animal's health. Advance method of rapid detection for the well water quality is highly recommended to avoid any health issue and prevent the outbreak of health risk and ecological contaminants