Imkan Al-rukyat Mabims (Solusi Penyeragaman Kelender Hijriyah)

There has been a dispute among Indonesian Muslims over the determination of the beginning of Islamic lunar calendar. The problem stems from the different interpretation of the meaning of rukyah. Many Muslims perceive it literally as looking at the Moon by eyes. Other Muslims conceive of it metaphorically and contend that scientific counting is the best method to determine the beginning of the month. This article offers a method to resolve the problem. It argues that imkan al-rukyat is the best solution to unify the different views about rukyah. Astronomy Muslim relig ious scholars define hilal as the coming of the crescent witnessed by eyes. Other scholars define it as the sign of the coming of new lunar calendar or the alteration of the old month with the new month. If the second view is accepted, the new month can be scientifically proved, and consequently eye witness is no longer required. It is therefore mandatory to use science as the fixed criteria to decide hilal. Both Muhammadiyah and NU need to update their method of deciding the emergence of the crescent by using modern science. By using the same criteria, that is science, the unification of different views regarding the beginning of Islamic lunar calendar can be scientifically reached

Analisis Fatwa Mui Nomor 2 Tahun 2004 Tentang Penetapan Awal Ramadhan, Syawal dan Dzulhijjah dengan Pendekatan Hermeneutika Schleiermacher

This article examines MUI Fatwa No 2/2004 on the decision of the beginning of Ramadan, and two other Islamic lunar months of shawwal and dzulhijja and adopth Schleiermacher's grammatical hermeneutics to analyze it. The fatwa is an attempt to re-unite between two opposing groups of ru'ya (those who base the beginning of the moths on the basis of seeing) and hisab (those who base the beginning of the months on the basis of mathematic calculation). From Schleiermacher's psychological hermeneutics, the fatwa is an attempt to reconstruct the methods of deciding the beginning of Islamic lunar months which has become the vocal point of controversies amongst Muslims in Indonesia

Peningkatan Sifat Mekanik Paduan Aluminium A356.2 Dengan Penambahan Manganese (Mn) Dan Perlakuan Panas T6

Aluminum Alloy A356.2 is one of aluminum alloys that is suitable to be used as a car wheel - rim material. This is because it has some benefits such as lightweight material, corrosion resistance material, interesting color but its mechanical properties do not meet criteria of JIS H 5202. For that reason, to meet the standard its mechanical properties need to be improved. Mechanical properties of this alloy can be improved using many ways; one of these is by changing its chemical composition. In this research, Mn element is added to alloy A356.2 containing Mn 0.05%w originally. Mn addition to the alloy is commenced from the amount of 0.2%w, 0.4; 0.6; 0.8; 1.0; 1.2; 1.4 and finally 1.6%w. After this, some tests are conducted to these new alloys including tensile test, hardness test, impact test and micro - structural test. Test results show that the change of material mechanical properties occurs due to Mn addition and heat treatment T6 to these alloys. The optimum mechanical properties are obtained with the addition of 1.2%w Mn to the alloy. In this condition, the alloy has Ultimate Tensile Stength of 31.58 kg/mm2, elongation of 7.54%, hardness test of 90.74 HVN and impact test of 5.88 J/cm2 and these results fulfill JIS H 5202 standard

Asymptotic behavior of age-structured and delayed Lotka-Volterra models

In this work we investigate some asymptotic properties of an age-structured Lotka-Volterra model, where a specific choice of the functional parameters allows us to formulate it as a delayed problem, for which we prove the existence of a unique coexistence equilibrium and characterize the existence of a periodic solution. We also exhibit a Lyapunov functional that enables us to reduce the attractive set to either the nontrivial equilibrium or to a periodic solution. We then prove the asymptotic stability of the nontrivial equilibrium where, depending on the existence of the periodic trajectory, we make explicit the basin of attraction of the equilibrium. Finally, we prove that these results can be extended to the initial PDE problem.Comment: 29 page

Neuroimmune disorders in COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the aetiologic agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is now rapidly disseminating throughout the world with 147,443,848 cases reported so far. Around 30–80% of cases (depending on COVID-19 severity) are reported to have neurological manifestations including anosmia, stroke, and encephalopathy. In addition, some patients have recognised autoimmune neurological disorders, including both central (limbic and brainstem encephalitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis [ADEM], and myelitis) and peripheral diseases (Guillain–Barré and Miller Fisher syndrome). We systematically describe data from 133 reported series on the Neurology and Neuropsychiatry of COVID-19 blog (https://blogs.bmj.com/jnnp/2020/05/01/the-neurology-and-neuropsychiatry-of-covid-19/) providing a comprehensive overview concerning the diagnosis, and treatment of patients with neurological immune-mediated complications of SARS-CoV-2. In most cases the latency to neurological disorder was highly variable and the immunological or other mechanisms involved were unclear. Despite specific neuronal or ganglioside antibodies only being identified in 10, many had apparent responses to immunotherapies. Although the proportion of patients experiencing immune-mediated neurological disorders is small, the total number is likely to be underestimated. The early recognition and improvement seen with use of immunomodulatory treatment, even in those without identified autoantibodies, makes delayed or missed diagnoses risk the potential for long-term disability, including the emerging challenge of post-acute COVID-19 sequelae (PACS). Finally, potential issues regarding the use of immunotherapies in patients with pre-existent neuro-immunological disorders are also discussed

Autonomous hybrid GPS/reactive navigation of an unmanned ground vehicle for precision viticulture-VINBOT

Yield forecasting can provide important benefits for wine industry in terms of quality and efficiency. Vineyard yield estimation can be obtained using several methods being the most widely used the method based on visual assessment and/or counting/weighing the yield components The increasing importance of yield forecast has lead to automated solutions for the data acquisition and allowed the first service robotics applications in viticulture. In this paper we aim to present the preliminary results obtained in the European research project VinBot: “Autonomous cloudcomputing vineyard robot to optimize yield management and wine quality”. The paper focuses in the robot navigation. Robot navigation for agriculture has been a continuous research topic in the last years. Even there is a wide number of RTK-DGPS and PPP based navigation solutions available for precision farming, navigation in vineyards has some particularities and can benefit from other navigation techniques. The high cost and in some cases other limitations as fix ratios (determined by baseline distances to base stations), or communication limitations in the field make alternative solutions desirable. In this paper, we present a hybrid reactive/GPS based navigation scheme tested successfully in vineyard navigation. The proposed solution makes use of a laser range finder and RGBD device to perform reactive row following and obstacle avoidance, while it can make use of other reactive behaviors or GPS waypoint navigation for changing from row to row or field to field, thus supporting different levels of automation. The paper includes also some experiences with recently introduced new generation low-cost RTK-DGPS devices, that in the coming years will enable the progressive introduction of viticulture robotsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Migration paths saturations in meta-epidemic systems

In this paper we consider a simple two-patch model in which a population affected by a disease can freely move. We assume that the capacity of the interconnected paths is limited, and thereby influencing the migration rates. Possible habitat disruptions due to human activities or natural events are accounted for. The demographic assumptions prevent the ecosystem to be wiped out, and the disease remains endemic in both populated patches at a stable equilibrium, but possibly also with an oscillatory behavior in the case of unidirectional migrations. Interestingly, if infected cannot migrate, it is possible that one patch becomes disease-free. This fact could be exploited to keep disease-free at least part of the population

Mathematical Modelling of Mosquito Dispersal in a Heterogeneous Environment.

Mosquito dispersal is a key behavioural factor that affects the persistence and resurgence of several vector-borne diseases. Spatial heterogeneity of mosquito resources, such as hosts and breeding sites, affects mosquito dispersal behaviour and consequently affects mosquito population structures, human exposure to vectors, and the ability to control disease transmission. In this paper, we develop and simulate a discrete-space continuous-time mathematical model to investigate the impact of dispersal and heterogeneous distribution of resources on the distribution and dynamics of mosquito populations. We build an ordinary differential equation model of the mosquito life cycle and replicate it across a hexagonal grid (multi-patch system) that represents two-dimensional space. We use the model to estimate mosquito dispersal distances and to evaluate the effect of spatial repellents as a vector control strategy. We find evidence of association between heterogeneity, dispersal, spatial distribution of resources, and mosquito population dynamics. Random distribution of repellents reduces the distance moved by mosquitoes, offering a promising strategy for disease control

Secondary School Students' Knowledge and Opinions on Astrobiology Topics and Related Social Issues

Astrobiology is the study of the origin of life on Earth and the distribution of life in the Universe. Its multidisciplinary approach, social and philosophical implications, and appeal within the discipline and beyond make astrobiology a uniquely qualified subject for general science education. In this study, student knowledge and opinions on astrobiology topics were investigated. Eighty-nine students in their last year of compulsory education (age 15) completed a written questionnaire that consisted of 10 open questions on the topic of astrobiology. The results indicate that students have significant difficulties understanding the origin of life on Earth, despite exposure to the topic by way of the assigned textbooks. The students were often unaware of past or present achievements in the search for life within the Solar System and beyond, topics that are far less commonly seen in textbooks. Student questionnaire answers also indicated that students had problems in reasoning and critical thinking when asked for their opinions on issues such as the potential for life beyond Earth, the question of whether UFOs exist, or what our place is in the Universe. Astrobiology might help initiate student awareness as to current thinking on these matters and should be considered for general science educatio